


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

by DarkBluePhoenix



Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy [5]
Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-09-26 18:34:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 177,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9915653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkBluePhoenix/pseuds/DarkBluePhoenix
Summary: SEELE makes plans to take down Gendo and NERV, Shinji finds out some stuff about himself, and the one he loves, Mari is struggling with the truth of her new life and protecting someone she cares about, Rei fights for her individuality, and Asuka needs to make some hard choices or be left a shell of the person she once was. Oh, and of course, it's an Angeru!





	1. Deep Impact; Sahaquiel Plummets

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 1 – Deep Impact; Sahaquiel Plummets  
April 8, 2016 – Outside Comfort 17 Apartments

Mari was walking home with Shinji after having cleaned up the classroom. Mari nudged him as they got near the apartment. "Puppy, is there a surprise party up there?" Mari asked.

"What?" Shinji said. "Why would there be?"

"Really, you lie like shit, Shinji." Mari said. "You're avoiding my gaze, and you have a little smirk. You know it's my birthday!"

Shinji sighed. "Couldn't you have at least waited till after everyone yelled surprise?" Shinji asked. "I was hoping you'd like the surprise…"

"Oh, puppy, you're adorable." Mari said. "Don't worry, I'll act surprised. But I expect cuddles later, in your room."

"I kinda figured I'd have to pimp myself out for your birthday…" Shinji said.

"You sound disappointed by the concept of me cuddling against you with my ample breasts… like it's a bad thing." Mari said.

"What? I don't mind, I was only kidding." Shinji joked. "You take stuff far too seriously, Mari. You need to relax."

Mari stared at him. "Well, I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you… that was a great comeback, puppy." Mari kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you for setting up the party, Shinji, it means a lot to me that you would do something like that."

"Well, you're my best friend, Mari." Shinji said. "You deserve a party to be thrown for your birthday."

"So… is everyone there?" Mari asked.

"Yeah." Shinji said. "I told them to bring presents, and Hikari's working on warming the food up now."

"Good, so can they wait a minute?" Mari asked.

"Sure…" Shinji said. "Why though?"

"Well, I know you love Asuka and everything, but can ask for one more present?" Mari asked.

"Mari…" Shinji said. "Are you going to ask me to kiss you or something?"

"Just a kiss for a girl on her birthday…" Mari said overly sweetly. "How can you deny such a simple request?"

"Because I love Asuka…" Shinji said. "But, we're not dating, and she doesn't even know I like her, so I guess it can't hurt…"

"YAY!" Mari shouted. "Oh, you're the best, Shinji… you make my heart go doki, doki!"

Shinji shook his head. "Mari…"

"What? I'm just happy I can kiss you again! It's always so fun!" Mari said excitedly. "Can we do it here, before the party? I don't want Asuka to see us kissing, I don't want to ruin your chances with her…"

"Thanks Mari." Shinji said. "And I hope everything works out with you and Rei."

"Awww, puppy, you remembered…" Mari said. "I'm still not sure what to do, I think I'll take her to the mall soon, and get her some new clothes or something, I don't know, it shouldn't be too hard to figure something out."

"That's a good plan, Mari." Shinji said. "You have it easier though, I can't exactly ask Asuka to the mall… she'll think it's a date or something…"

"Hey, Shinji, don't be all upset, I don't want you crying on my account." Mari said. "I'll help you with Asuka somehow, I promise."

"You'd do that, Mari?" Shinji asked.

"Of course!" Mari said. "What kind of friend wouldn't help you out?"

"Hikari offered too, but I'm not sure how to ask for her help…" Shinji said.

"Hey, ill chat with her, with our combined kawaii, we'll be able to think of some way to get Asuka to notice you, ok?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine, just don't let anyone find out about it, ok?" Shinji said.

"Alright, now that you're smiling again, let's kiss." Mari said bluntly.

"Alright… but keep your tongue to yourself." Shinji said.

"Don't worry, puppy." Mari said as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'll stick to our agreement, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it…"

Shinji leaned in and they both kissed, and became very flushed. They held each other close for a minute or two, and then pulled away.

"That was as nice as I remember it being." Mari said. "I do enjoy doing that."

"Yeah, I can't say it's not fun…" Shinji said sheepishly. "I just wish I could kiss Asuka…"

"Well, maybe we can figure something out, spin the bottle maybe?" Mari said.

"Yeah, and the bottle will land on everyone but Asuka." Shinji said.

"Fine, I'll think of a better plan, but right now, we have a party to get to." Mari said as she dragged Shinji by the arm towards the apartment.

–––

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted. "Happy birthday, Mari!"

"Jesus, you shouldn't scare someone like that!" Mari said admonishingly. "You almost gave me a coronary!"

"Oh, relax, four eyes." Asuka said. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah, you're so dramatic, Mari." Toji said.

"So, who set this up?" Mari asked.

"Who do you think?" Kaji said. "Shinji did, he's a good friend that kid."

"Yeah, he is." Mari said wrapping her arm roughly around his neck. "How did you find out about my birthday, puppy?"

"The Sub–Commander told me." Shinji said. "It was weird, we don't really ever talk, but he said that he heard about Asuka's party, and thought I should know if it was coming up. He said something about pilot comradery or whatever." Shinji smiled. "Anyway, are you happy with everything?"

"Of course puppy!" Mari said, kissing him on the cheek. "You're the most awesome best friend ever! So what are we eating?"

"Oh, just about anything you ever ate at that buffet we went to." Shinji said. "You know, I ordered the food from there, so it's way easier than cooking."

"I couldn't ask for anything more, puppy!" Mari said. "You got my favorite food in the world, their curry rice and all the other goodies they have!"

"What buffet?" Rei asked. "It is any good?"

"Yeah, it's the best!" Mari exclaimed. "It's a karaoke bar, with the buffet! The food is delicious, and it's all so tasty!"

"And we know this time that you don't eat meat, so I made sure to get you more than sauerkraut to eat…" Shinji said.

"I quite enjoyed the sauerkraut, Shinji. You did not know I did eat meat." Rei said. "I also enjoyed the potato salad, they were both quite delicious."

"Well, I'm glad my homeland's food wasn't disappointing." Asuka said. "I wouldn't want anyone to have been unhappy at the party."

"I was quite happy being with my friends." Rei replied happily.

"Aren't you going to tell Mari about the cake?" Hikari asked. "You did a wonderful job once again, Shinji."

"Yeah, that thing looked great, pal!" Toji said.

"Oooh, I can't wait to see it!" Mari said. "But I'm hungry, so can we eat?"

"Of course, birthday girl." Misato said. "We don't need you passing out from starvation…"

"I'm not starving, miso, I just want to pig out!" Mari said. "You can too, we won't judge."

They all shuffled into the kitchen and piled their plates high with food. Rei avoided the meat dishes, while Toji and Mari both carried two plates out into the living room. The all ate and laughed for a few hours, with Asuka and Mari playfully exchanging barbs, with Rei even joining in. After the food, Mari demanded cake first, so Shinji brought it out on a tray. It was a large yellow cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. Mari kissed Shinji again for the cake, causing him to blush and then he lit the 18 candles.

"Alright, Mari, make a wish!" Shinji said.

"Sure thing!" Mari said as she stared at the candles for a moment. 'I wish that me and Rei… no… I shouldn't be so selfish… I'm not the one that needs help.' Mari thought. 'I wish that Asuka and Shinji will get together…'

Mari blew out the candles and Shinji cut the cake.

"What did you wish for, Mari?" Rei asked.

"I can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true." Mari said. "And I really hope it does."

"I hope it does too, whatever it is." Rei said. "As long as it makes you happy, Mari."

"Awww, blueberry…" Mari said.

So while people were digging through cake, Mari ate quickly, and then looked at everyone accusingly.

"Mari… what is it?" Hikari asked.

"Presents!" Mari said happily.

Kaji stood up first and pulled out a small box. "Well, I don't know much about you Mari, but I figured this might be nice."

Mari opened it and found an aqua colored gemstone. "Oooh, elbaite!" Mari said excitedly. "Where did you find this?"

"Oh, well, I go on a lot of trips, I came across it at a market." Kaji explained. "I thought it might be a good present, seeing as it matched your eyes."

"Awww, thanks Kaji!" Mari said.

"You're quite welcome, Mari."

"Alright, us next…" Toji said. "Kensuke and I pulled some cash together for this pigtails." Toji handed her a box. "We hope you like them."

Mari ripped off the wrapping paper. "Holy crap, _Cowboy Bebop_?" Mari said excitedly. "This is a lot!"

"Not really." Kensuke said. "It was Toji's idea."

"It was?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, it was something I heard Mari hadn't been able to find any good anime, I thought we'd give her one to watch." Toji said.

"Thanks you two!" Mari said. "You're not so bad after all!"

"Yeah, no problem, Mari." Toji said.

"So, how about my gift?" Misato said. "Here ya go!"

Mari unwrapped this gift and saw something she really liked. "Jellybeans!" Mari shouted happily. "Oh, miso, thank you so much!"

"I knew you'd like those." Misato said. "I'm glad you're happy."

"Alright Mari, me next." Hikari said. "It not much, but I think you'll like it."

Mari opened the box to find a Pikachu plushie. "Oh, it's so cute!" Mari smiled widely. "Thanks Hikari!"

"I couldn't find a pink one, but I thought you might like that one anyway." Hikari said.

Mari kept smiling happily. "Thanks, freckles, it means a lot." Mari held the plushie in front of her face and made her voice all high pitched. "Pika, pika!"

Shinji and Asuka rolled their eyes, and Rei stepped forward.

"Mari…" Rei said. "Once again, like for Asuka, I do not have a physical gift."

"That's fine blueberry." Mari said. "I don't mind."

"However, I would like to buy you one, so I would like to take you up on your offer to go to the mall. If that is agreeable to you." Rei said.

"Rei, going to the mall with you would be enough, you don't have to buy me anything else." Mari said.

"But I wish to." Mari said. "For you, and Asuka, and even a present for Shinji's birthday." Rei explained. "I wish to give gifts to my friends."

"Well, then I'll have to take you, seeing as you're so determined." Mari said. "I'll let you pick a date you have free, and we can go then."

"That is simple enough to do." Rei said. "I will let you know soon."

"Alright, I'm all that's left four eyes." Asuka said holding out her present. "Here you go."

Mari took the last gift and opened it hastily, revealing a model kit and some paint. "Wow, a Liger Zero…" Mari said. "Thanks Asuka…"

"No problem, four eyes." Asuka said. "It wasn't too hard to find a new one, and it's a Master Grade, which the shop owner said was the second highest grade, figured that would be nice. I also got you some paint, cause you said you like pink, you can make its armor the color you like…"

Mari stood up and hugged Asuka tightly. "Oh, princess… you're so nice to me now!"

Asuka sighed. "Yeah, well don't ruin it with all the hugging and stuff."

"I'll try not to, but I just like giving hugs to people!" Mari said brightly.

"Alright everyone, let's have more cake!" Misato announced.

–––

After few more hours of chatting and eating, everyone left, leaving the apartment empty, save for Asuka, Shinji, and Mari. Misato had gone out to meet Ritsuko at a bar, and Kaji had left saying he was going to keep an eye on her. Rei excused herself quietly, and Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari went home together.

"What a mess…" Asuka said. "How do you clean all this crap Shinji?"

"Well…" Shinji said as he grabbed a garbage bag. "That's why I used paper plates and plastic cutlery. No dishes to speak of, just throw it all out."

"Well, that's pretty smart, puppy." Mari said. "Why don't we pick up tomorrow?"

"Because, I just want it over and done with." Shinji said. "We can take the garbage downstairs when we leave for school in the morning."

"Fine…" Asuka said as she grabbed a bag and began collecting the trash in the apartment. Within a half hour the apartment was as clean as it was before the party with the leftovers stored safely in the fridge.

As the three of them sat down to rest, Asuka stared at the two of them.

"So when did you two go to a karaoke bar?" Asuka asked. "That's where you said you ordered the food from, right?"

"Yeah, I ordered it from the karaoke bar we've gone to a few times." Shinji said.

"Well, we went the first day we met, princess." Mari said. "Shinji let me pick where to eat, and I fell in love with the food there. We go there sometimes after school, or whenever, it's infrequent to say the least."

"So, can anyone else come to your secret lovers' spot?" Asuka asked.

"It's not a lovers' spot Asuka." Shinji said. "I keep telling you, we're just friends."

"Yeah, and the next time we go, everyone should come along." Mari said. "I'll make you all sing and dance. It'll be great!"

"Yeah, I don't sing…" Asuka said.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, Asuka." Shinji said. "It can be kinda fun actually."

"You've sung?" Asuka asked.

"Of course." Shinji said. "It's a bit scary, but it's also pretty fun."

"You think you know a person…" Asuka muttered.

"Come on, I only sung a couple times." Shinji protested. "It's not so bad…"

"Well, I'm tired." Mari said suddenly. "Puppy, it's time for my present."

"What?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, she made me promise to cuddle with her tonight, Asuka." Shinji said. "So you'll have your room to yourself."

"But… why?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, he's just so warm and cuddly, I didn't want to sleep alone on my birthday, so I asked him." Mari explained. "Well actually, I begged him, and Shinji's such a nice guy, he agreed after a bit of prodding."

"Oh… well, have fun I guess…" Asuka said sullenly.

"Well, goodnight, princess." Mari said as she walked to her room. "Puppy, I'm going to change, I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Ok, Mari." Shinji said.

Asuka looked at Shinji and looked away from him. "Well, your girlfriend is waiting."

"Asuka, she _not_ my girlfriend." Shinji said. "She asked me for this, and I agreed. It's not like anything is going to happen, our relationship isn't like that. She doesn't like to feel lonely, so if I can help her out a little bit, I'm just being a good friend."

"Whatever…" Asuka said.

"Look, Asuka, I'm sorry…" Shinji said.

"Why are you sorry?" Asuka asked.

"Well, it's just, it looks like I upset you…" Shinji said sheepishly. "And I hate when I do that… so I'm sorry…"

"I'm not upset, I'm just tired." Asuka said. "So I'll go to bed too. Night, Shinji."

"Goodnight, Asuka…" Shinji said. 'Great… now she'll never like me…' Shinji thought sadly. 'I have to stop messing this up…'

Asuka walked to her room, leaving Shinji to wander to his own to change for bed. Asuka saw Mari pulling on some shorts over her panties as she walked in.

"A little overdressed, aren't you?" Asuka asked.

"No, not really." Mari said. "I'm just wearing enough clothes for a friendly cuddle with my bestie."

"So you're not going to try and have sex with him?" Asuka asked.

"No." Mari replied. "We're just friends Asuka, the only benefits are that he's really nice to me, and also extremely considerate."

"Well, good…" Asuka said. "You're both too young for that stuff anyway."

"Really, how prudish of you." Mari said as she noticed Asuka's sad look. "Princess, don't be so sad, it's only a cuddle. I'm sure if you asked nicely, he'd cuddle with you too."

"I don't want to cuddle with him." Asuka said.

"Not even a little, huh?" Mari asked. "Silly princess, you're not a good liar."

"I'm not lying." Asuka said.

"Sure you're not, princess." Mari said. "The slight flush on your face says otherwise I might add." Mari smiled. "Goodnight princess."

"Night…" Asuka said as she started to change. She sat down on her bed as Mari left the room and shed the few tears she was holding back. "Why can't I be that open with my feelings like Mari is…" Asuka muttered. "I can't even express how much I like Shinji… I'm just so fucked up, aren't I? I wish my momma was here… she'd know what to do… I know she would…" Asuka looked at the wall that separated her room from Shinji's. "I'm so jealous of Mari being able to be with him… I want to be with him… I want him all for myself and no one else…"

* * *

April 12, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

"And that I how life was before Second Impact. Full of hope, full of life…" Nebukawa no Sensei droned on.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Oh… I guess the bell means it's time for lunch… class dismissed." Nebukawa no Sensei said in his monotone voice.

Hikari stood up. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

Shinji stood up and stretched while the class dispersed to go eat. Shinji had had a rough morning. He was trying desperately to finish his homework, and was barely able to do so. So when he reached into his bag for the three bentos he made, he realized in his rush he hadn't made them.

"Oh shit…" Shinji muttered as Asuka walked over expectantly.

"Hey, Shinji." Asuka said. "Where's lunch?"

"Well, the thing is…" Shinji said. "I was doing my homework this morning, and I was in a rush, so I kind of forgot to make them…"

"WHAT?!" Asuka shouted. "Are you stupid or something? What the hell am I supposed to eat now?! I was counting on the lunch, baka!"

"I'm sorry, Asuka, I didn't mean to forget, it just kinda happened." Shinji said apologetically. "I'm really sorry, I promise I'll remember tomorrow."

"Well, that doesn't fucking help me now, baka!" Asuka shouted angrily. "Now what, I'm supposed to starve the rest of the day?!"

"No… I mean you can always get cafeteria food…" Shinji said.

"I don't want that crap!" Asuka shouted. "Your food tastes way better than that crap! I would rather starve!"

"Well, I said I was sorry Asuka!" Shinji shouted back. "But I didn't want to disappoint Misato again by fucking up my grades!"

"Well, what about me and four eyes!" Asuka retorted. "Now we're going to starve because you're fucking retarded and can't do your homework like a normal person!"

"Maybe if I had some help around the apartment from you two, I would have more time for my stuff, but I have to clean up after our guardian, you, and Mari! And at least Mari tries to help, you barely do anything half the time!"

Toji and Kensuke walked back in the room as the two of them were going at it, and Mari just watched in amazement while she and Hikari stood in the corner.

"Aren't you going to intervene?" Hikari asked.

"No, they need to get this out." Mari whispered. "Especially considering the circumstances. Maybe one of them will slip up."

"Shinji would be the better bet for that." Hikari said. "But in this mood, Asuka is more likely to hate him more for beating her to the punch."

"Good point freckles." Mari said. "Maybe you should step in, you're the class rep, and you can do that, right?"

"Yeah, especially before this gets worse…" Hikari said as she started to walk over.

Toji put his food on his desk and looked over at Asuka and Shinji. "Well, look at that." Toji said loudly. "The newlyweds are fighting, how adorable is that?!"

Asuka and Shinji stopped yelling at each other long enough to turn to Toji and shout at him in unison. "SHUT THE HELL UP TOJI!" Before they turned back on each other and started to argue again.

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!" Hikari shouted. "Just stop!"

"No, this moron forgot to pack my lunch!" Asuka shouted. "Now I don't even have a lunch to eat, and I'm going to starve to death!"

"Well, did you ever consider packing your own lunch?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, stop!" Hikari warned. "Asuka, you can't yell at him like that, it's not very nice, especially considering everything he does for you!"

"I'll yell at the moron if I want to!" Asuka said.

"And why is that?" Hikari asked.

"None of your business, Hikari!" Asuka said angrily.

Shinji stood up angrily and glared at Asuka. Then he turned to Hikari. "I'm not feeling well, so I'm going home." Shinji said angrily as he grabbed his bag and left.

"That's right, run away, Shinji, you're good at that!" Asuka said angrily.

"Asuka!" Hikari said admonishingly. "That was totally unnecessary!" Hikari turned to see Shinji leaving the classroom. "Wait, Shinji, don't go!" Hikari said as he stormed out.

"I got it…" Mari said as she walked over to Asuka. "Hey, princess, maybe you think about an apology for when you get home. You clearly upset him enough for him to run off like that…" Mari said. "And Hikari, don't take pity on her this time and feed her. With that attitude, she can go without one meal, it won't kill her."

"What does that mean?" Asuka asked.

"Maybe if you weren't so self–centered concerning his usefulness to you, you'd know that all he ever wants is to spend time with us, even if we're just helping out where we can, it would at least be nice to help a little you know!" Mari said angrily. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and make sure the "sick" puppy is alright."

Mari left and Hikari turned on Asuka. "May you could help him with his homework, seeing as you already have him cooking and cleaning."

"What?" Asuka asked.

"As an apology, offer to do his homework, or at least let him copy yours when you finish it." Hikari said. "Do you get it now?"

"Why is everyone so bent out of shape about me upsetting him?" Asuka asked. "It's not like he's in love with me, otherwise he would've packed my lunch!"

"Asuka, do you even understand what love is?" Hikari asked.

"Of course I do, Hikari!" Asuka said. "It's an intense feeling of deep affection. What else could it be? And you show that by doing nice things for other people."

"So maybe you should do something for him!" Hikari said.

"What are you driving at, Hikari?" Asuka asked.

"Absolutely nothing, Asuka." Hikari said. "Enjoy your lunch."

"Real funny, Hikari!" Asuka called to her.

"Asuka, would you like some of my lunch?" Rei asked as she walked over.

"Yeah, I guess…" Asuka said.

"Come with me." Rei replied. "Asuka, can I ask why you were so mad? It seemed to be far more than just about a lunch."

"No, it was only about the lunch." Asuka said. "Why is everyone looking for a deeper meaning with everything today?"

"Perhaps because there is one?" Rei said. "That seemed more like a lovers' quarrel than a simple argument about a lunch, Asuka. Why do you think Toji said what he said? It is what it looks like to the rest of us."

"It does not." Asuka said as she sampled Rei's lunch. "We just argue, it's how we operate."

"No offence, Asuka, but that is illogical." Rei said. "Perhaps you need to look into yourself and figure out why you were truly mad at him. Is it because you do not think he likes you or something of that sort?"

"I keep telling everyone it's not like that!" Asuka said angrily. "Can't people just leave things alone?!"

"Not when it is apparent that there are feelings between the two of you." Rei said. "If I can pick up on the social nuances between the two of you, then they must be glaringly obvious to everyone else…"

"Enough of this crap!" Asuka said angrily. "I don't like Shinji, I hate him!" Asuka said as she grabbed her bag and ran out of the room.

–––

Mari ran after Shinji, but couldn't catch the train he was on, so she had to wait for the next one in order to go back to the apartment and see if he was ok. Mari was also having a tough day. She had been thinking about her past again, even though she had told herself that the old Mari was dead, she still had the memories of her two friends' mothers, and wanted so badly to share all those memories with them, but sadly could not.

'Great, Shinji's run off again, and I'm still feeling guilty about keep shit from him.' Mari thought. 'I hate hiding things from him… especially when he's sad, I wish I could tell him I'm his godmother and tell him about his mother, but I can't… he'd hate me if he knew I've been lying to him this whole time… and I wish I could tell Asuka the same thing, but I can't… it's just not possible… at least not now… I know I have to tell them eventually, I can't hide this forever, this secret of mine will literally kill me someday.'

Mari arrived at the apartment to hear Shinji crying loudly in his room. Mari went to his room to see him on the bed with his head in his hands.

"Shinji?" Mari asked.

"Just go away!" Shinji shouted. "I want to be alone, Mari!"

"Well, that's not going to happen." Mari said. "I know you're upset about Asuka…"

"No shit!" Shinji said. "She fucking hates me, she'll always hate me! I love her, and every time I get close to telling her, she just proves once again that I shouldn't even mention it to her! I hate this! I just want to be with her but I can't!"

Mari sat down next to him, and pulled him against her chest. "It's ok, Shinji… just let it all out. Cry as much as you want, I want you to feel better, can you do that for me?"

"Why?" Shinji asked angrily. "Will crying actually help me?"

"Yeah, it can…" Mari said. "I… uh… used to cry a lot when I was younger. Literally at the drop of a hat, I'd just start crying uncontrollably… it was shitty, but I always felt better afterwards. So just try it, ok?"

Shinji, instead of protesting further, simply cried into Mari's chest. He cried for a good clip until he literally cried himself to sleep. Mari extracted herself carefully from him and laid him down on his bed and tucked him in. She kissed him lightly on the forehead and then left his room. She saw Asuka arrive home, red faced and puffy eyed.

"Been crying too, have you?" Mari asked.

"No, I'm just mad." Asuka said. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, just the fact Shinji's been crying because of you." Mari said. "Because he was upset he'd forgotten to pack your lunch, and that you seem to hate him instead of being his friend."

"I don't hate him…" Asuka said. "And if I've ever said that, I was just angry at him… I don't hate him at all… I consider him a close friend…"

"Well today was a great way to show it." Mari said angrily.

"Well, is he in his room?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, but he's sleeping." Mari said. "Just leave him alone, princess."

"No, I'm going in to apologize to him, nothing else." Asuka said. "Just leave me alone."

"Fine, just don't upset him more, Asuka." Mari said.

"I won't…"Asuka said. "I feel bad enough as it is…"

Asuka went to Shinji's room and slid the door open. Shinji was lying there under his blankets, resting peacefully. Asuka gently nudged him so he'd wake up. As he stirred, Asuka sat down on the floor.

"Hey, Shinji…" Asuka said. "Are you awake?"

Shinji opened his eyes. Asuka saw they were all red and puffy, and felt bad about causing him to cry, whatever his reasons were.

"What do you want, Asuka." Shinji asked. "Come here to yell at me again?"

"No…I came to apologize." Asuka replied. "I'm sorry I yelled at you in class, Shinji. I shouldn't have, but I was angry and hungry, and I'm sorry I made you cry too…"

"Do you really mean that, or are you just doing what Hikari or Rei suggested you do?" Shinji asked.

"I'm doing this on my own, Shinji." Asuka said. "I take you for granted, and I'm sorry for that, I really am. I hope you believe that I'm being sincere here, Shinji…"

"You really do mean it…" Shinji said in disbelief.

"Well there's more…" Asuka said. "This idea I got from Hikari, but from now on, you're copying my homework, that way you don't have to worry about doing it on your own in a rush. And if there's an essay, I can type one for you if you want… Hikari was right, I should do something to help, and the best thing I can do is your homework, at least if you'll let me that is…"

"Asuka, I appreciate the offer." Shinji said. "I'll take any help I can get honestly, Asuka. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Shinji." Asuka said as she stood up. "Now, I'm going to go order dinner with four eyes' help, so just stay here till we're done, ok?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Shinji said as Asuka left the room. "I guess there is a bit of hope of her liking me after all…"

* * *

April 15, 2016 – NERV HQ

Misato was pacing around in Central Dogma. She had been left in command while Commander Ikari was away in Antarctica. What had Misato worried, was satellite communications had failed, and several tsunamis were picked up on sensors placed throughout the ocean.

"Hyuga, please tell me you have something on why the comms have failed." Misato asked.

"Unfortunately no, Major." Hyuga said. "I'm still working on it. There is a lot of interference, and I'm searching for the source."

"Aoba, call up Ritsuko, I'll need her assistance." Misato ordered.

"Right away, ma'am." Aoba said.

"Maya, set Level–3 battle stations, somehow I have a feeling this interference is less than natural." Misato ordered. "Also, have the Evangelions prepped for launch, we don't know when this might turn sour."

"Right way, ma'am." Maya said.

"Uh… Major?" Hyuga said. "I'm picking up something on from a satellite in Low Earth Orbit."

"Can you get a visual, Hyuga?"

"Negative, ma'am." Hyuga said. "The satellite isn't in range yet. But there is a definite Pattern Orange."

"Great…" Misato said. "A Pattern Orange in orbit… what's it altitude?"

"Roughly 500,000m, ma'am." Hyuga replied. "What are your orders?"

"Nothing yet, I'd like Ritsuko's opinion." Misato replied.

"My opinion on what?" Ritsuko said as she swept into the room. "Aoba called me and told me to get up here."

"Pattern Orange, at 500km." Misato said.

"Oh… that's…" Ritsuko said.

"Yeah, not good is it?" Misato asked.

"No, our intercept weapons can't do anything, the only defense we have are the orbital weapons satellites." Ritsuko said. "What are the closest ones to the signal?"

"ARMSAT's 3 and 8 Dr. Akagi." Hyuga said.

"Arm them, Hyuga. Aoba, is there an observation satellite nearby?" Misato ordered.

"Yes, OBSAT–6 is coming into visual range now, we'll have visual coverage of the target for twelve minutes."

"Deploy an observation vessel to the South China Sea, and get us Earth based tracking." Misato ordered. "Maya, contact the pilots, call Shinji first, and tell them to get here immediately."

"Major, OBSAT–6 is in range now." Hyuga said. "Sensors are confirming the waveform pattern now… Pattern Blue! It's an Angel!"

"On screen!" Misato ordered.

The main display in Central Dogma lit up with a displayed image of the Earth, high above Tokyo–3, and with it was the Angel. It was on a massive scale, even with nothing near it to compare, it was clearly several times larger than an Evangelion.

It was mainly orange in color, and was shaped like something out of a lava lamp. His center had a giant eye, and had several long eyelashes emanating from it. The eye had a yellow sclera, a green iris, and a red pupil. The Core was situated within the pupil and held apparently stationary in the middle of the pupil. Spanning out from the eye were what looked like two outstretched hands. The hands had three fingers apiece, with blue dots in the middle like little finger nails. On the palm were what looked like psychedelic eyes, with an outer yellow ring, and an orange and green middle ring with a white center. Pointing towards the eye from the palm were what appeared to be two much smaller fingers, with the same blue dot.

Sahaquiel had arrived.

As they were watching him, a piece of Sahaquiel was broken off and fired towards the Earth. It impacted in the ocean not far from Old Tokyo.

"Well, now we know where those two other tsunamis came from." Misato quipped.

"It's using it A.T. Field to increase the mass of the object being fired at the ground." Ritsuko said.

"It's combining that with the kinetic energy from the fall to create a destructive power of immense force." Maya said. "With that kind of force with such a small piece, imagine if I were to drop itself down on Tokyo–3."

"We would be talking about an extinction–level event." Ritsuko said. "All life on the planet would either be wiped out by the shockwave, or the loss of the sun's warming heat."

"Well, it's sighting in, I think it's next shot will be at Tokyo–3 when it drops its wide ass right on top of us." Misato said. "How long do we have?"

"The Angel is in a 243 minute orbit." Maya reported.

"Are ARMSAT–3 and ARMSAT–8 still in range?" Misato asked.

"Yes, Major." Aoba said. "There are both armed and ready."

"Fire!" Misato ordered.

The display screen showed several dozen explosions around the Sahaquiel, and when the blasts cleared, there was no visible damage to speak of.

"Well, that worked." Ritsuko said.

"Yeah, well, it was worth a try." Misato said. "Level–1 battle stations… and order a D–17."

"What?!" Ritsuko said. "That won't do a damn thing!"

"Yeah, well, it will give the people something to think about besides impending doom." Misato said. "If its ordered now, it takes 210 minutes to evacuate. All non–essential personnel are to be evacuated from the base."

"How will the people being farther away do anything?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well, it will allow the EVAs to not have to worry about civilian casualties." Misato said. "I have a plan that just might work…"

"And what plan is that?" Ritsuko asked.

Misato grinned. "We're going to play catch."

–––

A fleet of helicopters were launching and flying low over the city, as the highways were clogged with cars, all leaving the city.

A message was being broadcast in order to inform and remind the public of the issue.

" _Your attention please, the government has announced a D–17 special declaration of emergency for this area. All residents are to evacuate immediately. To their designated areas. Please follow the instructions handed out by your district leaders._ " The message said. " _Anyone seeking emergency shelter inside the city is order to evacuate immediately. The area has been declared unsafe until further notice. Anyone caught inside the city after the evacuation has been complete without authorization will be subject to fines and prison time accordingly._ "

The center of the city began to recede into the ground as the last cars, helicopters, and VTOLs left the city.

Back in Central Dogma, Misato was waiting for the pilots to change.

"Major, the evacuation has been completed in 197 minutes." Hyuga reported.

"46 minutes until the Angel is in range again." Aoba reported.

"Evangelions are ready for immediate launch and transport to their starting points, the path for Unit–XP is cleared." Maya reported.

"Good, now I just have to explain things to the kids, and get this show on the road." Misato quipped.

–––

Shinji was in the locker room getting changed, when his phone rang unexpectedly.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

"Hello?" Shinji said.

" _Hey, Shinji._ " Hikari said on the other end.

"Oh, Hikari, is everything ok?" Shinji asked.

" _Yeah, I'm with Toji and Kensuke with the evacuees, we're with Sakura._ " Hikari said. " _I know there's an Angel, so do Toji, Sakura, and Kensuke. We just wanted to wish you all luck._ "

"Thanks Hikari." Shinji said. "It's nice of you to call."

" _You're welcome, Shinji._ " Hikari said. " _Just, please, be careful. Keep everyone safe, and make sure you don't let the city get blown up too._ "

"It's a lot to ask." Shinji said. "But I promise. Am I on speaker?"

" _No, it's too crowded here for that._ " Hikari said.

"Well, just don't waste this opportunity being so close to Toji, ok?" Shinji asked. "Just don't let it slip through your fingers."

" _Always the gentleman, Shinji._ " Hikari said. " _Even in the face of death, you're worried about me._ "

"Well, seeing as Mari and you are trying to help me, it's the least I can do." Shinji said.

" _I should let you go, you and the others have a city to save._ " Hikari said happily. " _Pass on the luck for me._ "

"I will Hikari. Somehow I think we'll need it." Shinji said. "See you in a few days."

" _See you soon, Shinji._ " Hikari said.

CLICK

Shinji smiled as he put his phone securely in his locker and went to meet the girls outside the locker room.

–––

The pilots were in Central Dogma, standing and looking at the Angel in space, and listening to Misato explain her insane plan.

"What the fuck?!" Asuka shouted. "You want us to catch the fucking thing… _with our hands_?!"

Mari shook her head. "You're fucking crazy miso…"

"This plan seems highly improbable of being able to work." Rei said.

"Misato, are you trying to kill us?" Shinji said. "Or have you lost your fucking mind?"

"I'm perfectly sane." Misato said. "And this plan will work, no matter what you say. Your EVAs do have hands, don't they?"

"That's not the fucking point!" Asuka said. "The sheer acceleration on that thing will be impossible to stop."

"Newton's law of motion tell us this will be a nearly impossible feat." Rei said. "All facts to the contrary mean nothing."

"Well, perhaps without the magic of an A.T. Field." Misato said. "Deploying your field at full strength and channeling it upwards to catch the Angel has been calculated at all your current sync score to be more than enough."

"Fine, so we catch the fucking thing, then what?" Mari asked.

"It's Core is in the center, in the eye." Misato said. "You destroy it, and save the city. It's as simple as that."

"So, then what?" Shinji asked. "Are we going to be caught in an explosion, or a pile of blood again? And are we going to be stuck in the EVA until you guys come rescue us?"

"Something like that, we can't be sure." Misato said. "Now, we're wasting time. So do you want the rest of the plan?"

"What's the plan, Misato…" Shinji asked.

"Bring it up Maya." Misato ordered.

On the main display screen, there was a diagram of the city, with three overlapping circles forming a sort of triquetra with three dots indicating the starting points of the EVAs in the center of each circle.

"Alright kids, Unit–00 will be deployed to the north, with Unit–01 in the southeast, and Unit–02 to the southwest. The Angel's terminal path cannot be figured by the MAGI, so we're spreading you all out to intercept it in the most efficient way possible." Misato explained.

"What about little old me?" Mari asked. "I don't see my dot there."

"Well, when the Angel's altitude hits about 10km, or the path probably hits 90%, you'll be launched immediately for intercept. You will deploy you're A.T. Fields at maximum and catch the thing, _with your hands_ , and destroy the Core."

"What in the hell gave you that spread for the intercept?" Asuka asked angrily.

"It's a guess." Misato said.

"A what?!" Mari shouted.

"A guess based on woman's intuition."

"Oh, great, we're all fucked now." Shinji quipped. "Right in the ass… she took a guess… I'm really confident now…"

"Shinji!" Misato shouted. "It's a best guess, don't be so rude!"

"I don't know, I think he's onto something." Mari said.

"Yeah, I agree with Shinji too, Misato." Asuka said.

"With all this arguing, we're wasting time!" Misato said angrily. "Just deal with the plan, we've had worse!"

"No, the thing with the Fifth Angel wasn't as nuts as this, or the Sixth Angel frankly, or the Seventh…" Shinji listed off. "Literally, this is your craziest plan yet, Misato."

"Fine, its way out of the box." Misato said. "Who cares? This is our only option!"

"Fine, I'll do it." Shinji said. "But if anything happens, I blame you."

"Well, at least you'll do it." Misato said. "What about the rest of you."

"I'm not letting the puppy do it alone." Mari said.

"I will not allow Shinji to risk his life all alone." Rei said.

"I'm not letting baka Shinji take all the glory." Asuka said. "So… when do we leave?"

"Well, we have 27 minutes before the Angel is in range again to attack, you leave immediately." Misato ordered. "Head down to the Cage and board your EVAs. Unit–00, Unit–01, and Unit–02 launch in ten minutes, and Unit–XP be on launch pad 6."

"Right." Shinji said.

"Fantastic…" Mari said.

"Hooray…" Asuka said.

"Understood." Rei replied.

–––

Misato stood in Central Dogma as the Angel neared its destination.

"Alright everyone, clear out, I'll handle all this on my own." Misato said.

"Sorry, Major, we're not leaving." Maya said.

"Yeah, we're not letting those kids or you risk their loves while we go and hide somewhere." Hyuga replied.

"Plus, what are going to do?" Aoba said. "Wait and see if the Angel's been defeated when we have front row seats?"

"I'm not leaving the MAGI, or you." Ritsuko said. "There isn't a point."

"Fine, then let's get ready." Misato said.

–––

Shinji sat in his Entry Plug, and waited for the start of the operation. All three EVAs were in place

" _Is everyone ready?_ " Misato asked.

"Yeah." Shinji said.

" _Unit–00 ready for intercept._ " Rei said.

" _I'm good, Miso!_ " Mari said happily.

" _I'm as ready as I'll ever be._ " Asuka said.

"Right, get ready to go." Misato said.

" _Ma'am!_ " Maya said. " _The Angel has begun its decent!_ "

" _Switch to internal power! Purge external power lines!_ " Misato ordered. " _Evangelions Unit–00, Unit–01, and Unit–02… LAUNCH!_ "

The power cable ejected from each Eva and hit the ground with a bang. The timer inside the Entry Plug appeared with its usual message of "INTERNAL POWER SELECTED" and the timer counting down from "5:00:00" to power down.

The EVAs took off like sprinters towards the area where Sahaquiel was intended to land. Their feet skidded on the ground for a moment as they picked up traction and took off, and their movement caused the vehicles around them to tip over. As they moved quicker and quicker towards their goal. They began hurdling over power lines and slamming their feet down into the street, leaving large holes where the feet impacted.

Unit–01 charged up a hill, and leaped off the top of a hill and landed heavily in a forest, causing the ground to crack and sputter as he sped off again.

" _The Angel is at 50,000m and falling fast!_ " Maya reported.

" _They won't make it in time!_ " Hyuga said. " _It's changed its course to hit outside the city!_ "

" _Shit, I'm too far to make it in time!_ " Asuka shouted.

" _As am I._ " Rei said.

"The hell I'm not close enough! I have a visual, and I'm tracking the Angel!" Shinji shouted. "Misato, the blast shields! Put them up, now!"

" _What?_ " Misato asked.

"I can use them and the AIS towers to speed up!" Shinji said. "Hurry!"

" _Good thinking, Shinji._ " Ritsuko said. " _You did listen to all those briefings I gave._ "

"Of course!" Shinji said. Ready when you are, Misato!" Shinji said.

" _Deploy the blast shields in his path, then those armament buildings there!_ " Misato ordered. " _Hold on, Shinji!_ "

" _Roger that!_ " Hyuga said. " _Deploying now!_ "

The blast shields were deployed half up, creating a large ramp, and several of the AIS towers were deployed in a sequence. Unit–01 ran up the ramps, increasing it speed, its feet causing sparks every time it hit the shields. Unit–01 then leapt up the AIS towers until it reached the highest one and leapt off and landed running and Unit–01 crouched down and lessened its drag, and began to run even faster.

" _Speed at 0.87 Mach and rising!_ " Maya reported. "0.92… 0.96… Mach 1.02… Unit–01 has broken the sound barrier and is at transonic speed!"

Unit–01 had a vapor cone begin to form around it and a shockwave emanated from it as it ran towards the Angel. The vapor cone dissipated as Unit–01 reached supersonic speeds, and the shockwave became stringer, damaging buildings and flipping cars over in the process. Unit–01 shot up a hill, leaving dirt and dust in its wake.

"I'm right on target!" Shinji shouted. "Tenth Angel is in sight! It's fucking enormous!"

Sahaquiel could be seen plummeting towards the Earth. A large plasma trail from its decent through the atmosphere. A red hot glow could be seen dropping closer, and Unit–01 began skidding to a halt

" _Altitude 2,000m!_ " Maya reported. " _Impact in 20 seconds!_ "

" _Deploy, Unit–XP!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Roger!_ " Aoba shouted.

"Deploying my A.T. Field!" Shinji shouted.

" _Shinji's sync score is over 80%!_ " Maya reported " _His A.T. Field's power is massive!_ "

" _What?!_ " Ritsuko shouted. " _Over 80%… that's impossible!_ "

" _Clearly not, as it's over that threshold._ " Misato said.

Unit–01 deployed its A.T. Field with such power, the sky turned red, and the field created a shockwave that blasted the ground apart, destroying everything in the immediate vicinity. Unit–01 held tis arms up and braced itself.

"Ready!" Shinji shouted.

Sahaquiel approached Unit–01 at high speed, and the A.T. fields of both Evangelion and Angel caused another explosion, damaging the surrounding area even more. Unit–01's feet sunk into the ground, but Unit–01 held strong and didn't allow the Angel to continue it's decent. Unit–01 stared directly into the eye Sahaquiel.

"Get back, motherfucker!" Shinji shouted. "You're not destroying anything!"

Sahaquiel, as if in response to Shinji's declaration shot out two long spears, and put them right through Unit–01's hands and forearms.

"AGGGGHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

In response to its being punctured, Unit–01's eyed glowed brightly and its jaw bolts strained once again until they broke, and Unit–01 let out its primal voice once again. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

" _Unit–01's jaw bolts have been broken again!_ " Hyuga reported.

" _Has it gone berserk?_ " Ritsuko asked.

" _No, ma'am!_ " Hyuga said. " _It just appears is responding to the attack in kind._ "

" _Unit–01's A.T. Field output has just tripled!_ " Maya reported.

" _The Core of Unit–01 is also beginning to heat up!_ " Aoba reported.

" _What is it doing?_ " Ritsuko said aloud. " _This is unprecedented!_ "

" _SHINJI!_ " Misato screamed.

" _Hold on Shinji, we're on our way!_ " Asuka shouted.

" _Shinji, please hold on, I will be there momentarily._ " Rei said.

"Hold on, puppy, here I come!' Mari said. "Unit–XP… LAUNCHING!"

"HURRY UP GUYS!" Shinji screamed. "IT HURTS!"

–––

Unit–XP shout out of the ground not far from where Sahaquiel and Unit–01 were struggling. "Hold on puppy…" Mari said worriedly.

"Need to set the mood…" Mari said. "Let's hit it…"

Mari flipped a few switches and music started playing loudly in every EVA and I Central Dogma when Mari started to sing along.

 **♪Revvin' up your engine**  
**Listen to her howlin' roar**  
**Metal under tension**  
**Beggin' you to touch and go**

 **Highway to the danger zone**  
**Ride into the danger zone**

 **Headin' into twilight**  
**Spreadin' out her wings tonight**  
**She got you jumpin' off the track**  
**And shovin' into overdrive**

 **Highway to the danger zone**  
**I'll take you**  
**Ridin' into the danger zone♪**

" _Mari this isn't the time for music!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Shut that shit off, four eyes!_ " Asuka screamed.

" _MARI, JUST GET HERE ALREADY!_ " Shinji screamed.

"Alright, fine the music's off… here I come you fucking Angel!" Mari screamed. "You've picked the wrong puppy to fuck with!"

–––

"Status of Unit–01!" Misato shouted.

"Hands and forearms punctured!" Maya reported. "Severe damage to underlying tissues! The arms are hemorrhaging quite severely."

"With Shinji's sync score as high as it is, he will be receiving similar injuries." Ritsuko said sadly. "We have to kill that thing before it kills him."

"Shinji's vitals!" Misato shouted.

"His heart rate is through the roof, and his blood pressure is dropping!" Aoba reported. "He's also losing a lot of blood!"

"Shit!" Misato shouted. "Mari, Asuka, Rei, hurry up!"

" _Roger!_ " Rei replied.

" _I'm close!_ " shouted.

" _I'm trying, but I'm so far away!_ " Asuka shouted.

"Shinji just hold on!" Misato shouted.

" _I'M TRYING!_ " Shinji screamed.

–––

Shinji continued his struggle against Sahaquiel. The weight of the Angel pressing hard on his damaged arms causing them to hemorrhage even more.

"COME ON!" Shinji said. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS?! KILL THIS FUCKING THING ALREADY!"

" _I'm right here Shinji._ " Rei replied.

" _15 seconds, puppy, and I'll kill this fucker!_ " Mari shouted.

" _Hold on, Shinji!_ " Asuka shouted. " _I'm going as fast as I can!_ "

Unit–00 arrived and help prop up the Angel. Unit–00 deployed one of its Prog Knives and began slicing Sahaquiel's A.T. Field. The field was sliced though with very little effort as Unit–XP arrived, charging on scene with its spear out and ready.

" _Time to die you motherfucker!_ " Mari screamed. " _TAKE THIS!_ "

Unit–XP shoved its spear in Sahaquiel's eye, right at the Core, but the Core moved and avoided the attack.

" _MOTHERFUCKER!_ " Mari said. " _The spear's stuck! Princess, get the lead out!_ "

" _I'm right here!_ " Asuka shouted.

Unit–02 arrived and deployed its Prog Knives and leaped up into the air, flying straight for the Core, and both Prog Knives found their target before it could move, with Unit–02 using the its retro rockets to speed itself into the knife plunge, cracking the exterior of the Core, and cutting right through the S2 Engine.

Sahaquiel let out a horrific scream similar to Ramiel's from so many months ago, and its body went limp and it turned into a field of blood that flooded the city with a crimson tide. Unit–01 collapsed immediately and Unit–02 dropped its knives and caught it as it fell down. Unit–00 keeled over, and Unit–XP shutdown.

" _Is everything alright out there?!_ " Misato asked.

" _The Angel has been neutralized, Misato, Unit–01 is down, as are Unit–00 and Unit–XP._ " Asuka reported. " _Send help Misato, I think Shinji is hurt really badly!_ "

"Asuka, you did it…" Shinji cried. "You saved me…"

" _Sending emergency medical teams for recovery._ " Misato said. " _The priority is Unit–01!_ "

" _Shinji!_ " Asuka cried out. " _Hold on!_ "

–––

Asuka opened her Entry Plug in a hurry and clambered up the shoulder of Unit–02 and ran down its arm to the damaged Unit–01 it was holding. She looked for the emergency release for the Entry Plug on Unit–01. She found and pressed it, but the button was stuck.

"Please be ok… please be ok…" Asuka said as she slammed the release with her foot, causing the Entry Plug to open and the LCL to discharge. Asuka opened the main hatch and saw Shinji writhing in pain in his pilot's seat.

"Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "Shinji, are you ok?!"

"No…" Shinji said weakly. "My hands… they hurt…"

Asuka saw his hands had deep burns, as did his forearms, in direct correlation to the injuries Unit–01 had sustained.

"Shinji!" Asuka said. "I'll stay with you until the medics get here, ok?"

"Asuka, can you make it stop hurting…" Shinji said. "Can you make it stop hurting…"

Asuka cradled Shinji in her arms and held him close. "You'll be ok, baka." Asuka said. "But, you got yourself hurt, you always get yourself hurt…"

"Asuka…" Shinji said weakly.

"What is it, Shinji…" Asuka asked as she looked at the pain on his face.

"Asuka… I… I…" Shinji started, but the pain finally took him and he passed out from the shock, leaving Asuka wondering what he was trying to say.

"Shinji?" Asuka shouted. "Wake up, Shinji! Don't die on me! What would I do without you?! Don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone!"

–––

Deep in the remains of the Antarctic, on board the U.S.S. _Enterprise_ , Gendo was observing the recovery of an object from the water. Fuyutsuki came out and walked up next to Gendo.

"What do you think of the end of the world, Fuyutsuki?" Gendo asked.

"Well, it looks no less haunting than the last time we were here, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said.

"Quite correct, but now, we have science on our side." Gendo said. "We can create a new world soon, one where SEELE will no longer be in control."

"That is the hope after all…" Fuyutsuki said.

"What news from Tokyo–3, Fuyutsuki. I assume that is why you came out here." Gendo said.

"Quite." Fuyutsuki said. "I have been informed that communications are back online."

"Good, so that means Sahaquiel has been handled." Gendo said proudly. "The report?"

"Preliminary report is here." Fuyutsuki said. "Major Katsuragi certainly outdid herself this time. She deserves a promotion."

"Well, did Shinji really support Sahaquiel all on his own?" Gendo asked.

"I presume so, Katsuragi and Akagi have the same exact report." Fuyutsuki said. "I would have to say it's quite shocking, it shows his conviction to protect life."

"He certainly is his mother's son." Gendo said. "It also appears Yui assisted in some way as well. Quite impressive, he's gotten her to awaken twice, without an S2 Engine."

"We should go contact HQ, commander." Fuyutsuki said. "Katsuragi will have the damage report by now…"

"Right, it appears the package has been secured to the deck." Gendo said. "We can go in now. I'd like to thank my son personally."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Fuyutsuki said.

"I gather he will." Gendo said as they walked inside, making the only thing on the flight deck a long rod shaped tarp that was half the length of the deck.

–––

Misato was standing in Central Dogma as the recovery teams got Shinji and Asuka on board and hurried them back to base.

"So, Asuka got Shinji out herself." Misato said.

"Yes, she insisted she accompany the teams back to base." Ritsuko said.

"Ma'am, communication are back online, and we're receiving a communication." Maya said. "Patching it through now, audio only."

"Understood." Misato said

" _Excellent work, Major._ " Fuyutsuki said.

"Thank you sir, but I wish to take full responsibility for all the damage I caused." Misato said. "Only Unit–02 is undamaged, the other EVAs have sustained heavy damage."

" _Considering the damage that could have been done, we should consider ourselves lucky._ " Gendo said. " _Like Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki said, good work._ "

"Thank you sir." Misato said.

" _You can give us the full report when we return, however, could you patch me through to Unit–01's pilot?_ " Gendo asked.

"Unfortunately we cannot, sir." Misato replied. "Shinji was seriously injured supporting the Angel for so long. He's been recovered and taken to the medical ward for treatment."

" _Very well._ " Gendo said. " _Keep us informed on his status, and begin repairs to nit–01 immediately._ "

"Understood Commander." Misato said.

–––

Asuka sat next to Shinji's hospital bed as the nurses tended to Shinji's wounds. She had been kept out of the room while he had been cut out of his plugsuit. Asuka had been allowed back in after insisting on it, and as the nurses wrapped Shinji's hands and explained to change out the dressings every six hours.

Asuka sat and waited for him to wake up, while she felt horrible at the past few days. Asuka placed her hand on his arm.

"Shinji, I'm really sorry… I know I apologized a few days ago for yelling at you, but I still feel awful about having shouted." Asuka said. "I can't lose you…" Asuka muttered. "Please just wake up… please…"

Shinji stirred and looked over at Asuka weakly. "Oh… it's my guardian angel… the beautiful girl with red hair…" Shinji muttered.

"What…" Asuka said. "Shinji, what are saying, are you stupid or something?"

"Oh, you're in here!" Mari said. "He's awake?"

"Yeah, kind of." Asuka said. "Where's Rei?"

"Akagi took her for some test or something…" Mari said. "So, is he ok?"

"No he's muttering nonsense about guardian angels and red hair." Asuka said. "Sounds like he's drugged up pretty well."

"Yeah, poor puppy." Mari said. "I'm sure he'll be ok… he's tough."

"Yeah, he held up that Angel all on his own." Asuka said. "He was really brave."

"He really was…" Mari said. "I just hope he's ok."

"The nurses said it was the EVA, he got burns where the EVA was stabbed." Asuka explained. "He'll be fine. He just needs rest."

"Yeah, he deserves it after what he just went through." Mari said. "When can we take him home?"

"As soon as he wakes up." Asuka said.

"That was stupid…" Shinji muttered. "We shouldn't have used our hands…"

"Puppy!" Mari shouted.

"Shinji!" Asuka said happily.

"Oh… the hospital again, how wonderful…" Shinji muttered. "Can we go home?"

"Sure, I'll go find a nurse." Asuka said.

"Yeah, I'll help her so she doesn't try to choke one to get them here." Mari smiled. "We'll be right back, Shinji, just stay put."

"I don't intend on moving, Mari." Shinji said. "No intention at all."

* * *

April 16, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka was tossing and turning in bed. Shinji had been released from the hospital on pain killers, and Mari was sleeping soundly, while Shinji was in his own room, after having been helped home by Asuka and Mari. Asuka heard Mari snoring again, and decided that her guilt, coupled with wanted to get some sleep meant doing something she found very odd.

Asuka got up and wet quietly to Shinji's room. He was resting somewhat peacefully, but he didn't really look asleep. Asuka crawled into bed with him and got under the covers and wrapped her arms around him.

"Asuka… is that you?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, it's me." Asuka said.

"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"I was feeling lonely." Asuka said. "And I thought… I thought this might help…"

"Asuka, are you sure you're alright?" Shinji asked. "You sound very sad…"

"No, I'm not really sure of anything anymore." Asuka said. "But Mari said you don't mind doing this… and after what happened before we fought the Seventh Angel, I didn't think doing this again would be so bad…"

"I don't mind being this close to my friends at all, Asuka. It's really nice." Shinji said. "Just be careful of my hands."

"Thanks, Shinji…" Asuka said as she nuzzled slightly against him. "Just don't tell anyone, ok? I want to keep this our little secret."

"Sure, Asuka, I can do that." Shinji said. "You're not embarrassed being with are you?"

"Of course not, I just don't like people knowing crap about me that isn't any of their business." Asuka explained. "I like keeping certain things… private."

"Ok, Asuka." Shinji said. "I was afraid you didn't like being near me."

"What are you, stupid or something?" Asuka said. "I'm cuddling with you, baka, how could I not like being near you…"

"Well, embarrassed is what I meant." Shinji said. "I'm just glad we're still friends."

"Well, we may not be if your sync score keeps getting higher." Asuka said. "I don't like being beaten all the time by you, and with four eyes nipping at my heels it's really aggravating."

"Well, Asuka, I don't know why I keep getting my score to increase." Shinji said. "Yours really should be the highest. You try harder than any of us."

"Do you mean that?" Asuka asked.

"Of course I do." Shinji said. "I always notice that you work so hard with training, and trying to get your score higher and higher. It's really impressive."

"Thanks Shinji…" Asuka said. "At least you know who the best pilot should be."

"Asuka Langley Soryu, right?" Shinji joked.

"You bet your ass…" Asuka said.

"Look, Asuka, I'd gladly trade scores with you if it would make you feel better." Shinji said. "That is if that's what bothering you."

"It's only part of it." Asuka said. "But it doesn't matter now, Shinji…"

"If you say so Asuka." Shinji said. "Just remember, you can talk to me about anything you'd like. Just so you know."

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka said. "I may take you up on that offer eventually, as long as you can keep a secret…"

"I can keep a secret, Asuka." Shinji said. "Don't worry about that."

"Good." Asuka replied. "I'd be worried if you couldn't."

"Whatever you decide to share with me, I'll take it to my grave." Shinji said. "Which, after today could really happen at any time."

"Don't say that, Shinji." Asuka said angrily. "You're too young to die!"

"Asuka, people die, that's what happens…" Shinji said. "And our job is quite dangerous…"

"No, you're not allowed to die without my permission!" Asuka said. "You're not sticking me alone with four eyes and Misato! I'd end up feeling alone without one of my best friends to talk to!"

"I didn't know you felt that way, Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Well, I do… death is gruesome…" Asuka said as she shuttered. "It's… awful…"

"I'm sorry…" Shinji muttered.

"Why are you apologizing now?" Asuka asked.

"I don't know, what we were talking about upset you…" Shinji said. "I don't like upsetting you, Asuka… that's why I'm sorry."

"Thanks Shinji…" Asuka said. "But it's not your fault…"

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, baka, I'm quite sure…" Asuka said. "Just bad memories…"

"Oh…" Shinji said. "Well, if you ever want to talk…"

"I know, you'll be there to listen…" Asuka said. "Hey, Shinji, do you have that music player of yours handy?"

"Yeah, I do." Shinji replied. "Why?"

"I'd like to listen to something." Asuka said. "Maybe we can both listen. If that's ok with you I mean…"

"Yeah, it's fine…" Shinji blushed. "No one's ever asked to listen to my music before."

Shinji took out his SDAT and gave Asuka one of the earbuds. They both put them in, and Shinji hit play on the track that he had stopped on earlier that day.

 **♪It's too late baby, there's no turning around**  
**I got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud**  
**This is how I do**  
**When I think about you**  
**I never thought that you could break me apart**  
**I keep a sinister smile and a hold of my heart**  
**You want to get inside**  
**Then you can get in line**  
**But not this time**

 **Cause you caught me off guard**  
**Now I'm running and screaming**

**I feel like a hero and you are my heroine**

**I won't try to philosophize**  
**I'll just take a deep breath then I'll look in your eyes**  
**This is how I feel**  
**And it's so surreal**  
**I got a closet filled up to the brim**  
**With the ghosts of my past and their skeletons**  
**And I don't know why**  
**You'd even try**  
**But I won't lie**

 **You caught me off guard**  
**Now I'm running and screaming**

 **I feel like a hero and you are my heroine**  
**Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?**

 **And I feel a weakness coming on**  
**It never felt so good to be so wrong**  
**Had my heart on lockdown**  
**And then you turned me around**  
**And I'm feeling like a newborn child**  
**Every time I get a chance to see you smile**  
**It's not complicated**  
**I was so jaded**

 **And you caught me off guard**  
**Now I'm running and screaming**

 **I feel like a hero and you are my heroine**  
**Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?**

 **I feel like a hero and you are my heroine**  
**And I feel a weakness coming on**  
**It never felt so good to be so wrong**  
**Had my heart on lockdown**  
**And then you turned me around**  
**Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?**  
**And I'm feeling like a newborn child**  
**Every time I get a chance to see you smile**  
**It's not complicated**  
**I was so jaded**

 **I feel like a hero and you are my heroine**  
**And I feel a weakness coming on**  
**It never felt so good to be so wrong**  
**Had my heart on lockdown**  
**And then you turned me around**  
**Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?**  
**And I'm feeling like a newborn child**  
**Every time I get a chance to see you smile**  
**It's not complicated**  
**I was so jaded♪**

By the time the song ended, Asuka and Shinji were falling asleep with Asuka holding onto Shinji quite tightly as If to protect him from the world.

Asuka lay there happily, holding Shinji and feeling his heartbeat under her hand. 'This is wonderful…' Asuka thought. 'I just wish I could tell him the other thing that's bothering me is that I want to tell him I like him… I guess us doing this is all I'm capable of though…' Asuka smiled. 'Maybe I'll just come up with more excuses to cuddle… that seems like the easiest way to be near him… or certainly the most convenient.'

Shinji was also smiling while he fell asleep. 'This is nice…' Shinji thought. 'I feel so warm with her holding me like this. I just wish I could know if she likes me, that way I could just tell her without being so afraid of her rejecting me.' Shinji blushed. 'But I wouldn't want to trade what I have right now for anything less… she actually came to see if I was ok, even if she said it was about her… it was very sweet… maybe she likes me after all… or maybe she's warming up to me… I just wish I knew for sure…'

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
Kenny Loggins – _Danger Zone_ (1986)  
Boys Like Girls – _Hero/Heroine_ (2006)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 83.5% (+15.1%)  
Asuka – 72.6% (+8.3%)  
Mari – 72.4% (+8.1%)  
Rei – 67.5% (+9.4%)

The title of this chapter comes from the 1998 film titled " _Deep Impact_ " starring Robert Duvall, which came out the same year as another, more widely known, end–of–the–world–due–to–asteroid film, " _Armageddon_ " starring Bruce Willis. Basically those movie's plots are less contrived than Misato's plan of catching an asteroid with an EVA, and pretty much involve nuking the fucking things. Anyway the title seemed appropriate.

So, there was Sahaquiel in all his awesome glory. Sahaquiel is probably my favorite Angel for the fact that he has the balls to attempt a suicide attack to kill every human on the planet with his earth–shattering impact. This is also my favorite episode in anime, and of course the best part of 2.22, as Unit–01 hitting the speed of sound was fucking awesome!

As for the relationship issues between Asuka and Shinji, those are going to be around for a while, as Asuka is stubborn, and doesn't like admitting her feelings, and Shinji is deathly afraid to lose her friendship by declaring his love for her. So, they are at an impasse that will take many chapters to get by.

Now, I did that some liberties with Mari's birthday. Seeing as she did not have one, I decided because she is my favorite character, that I would have her birthday be the same day as my own.

Finally, the plot from Episode IV Chapter 1 has been partially resolved. Sahaquiel was one of the two things Asuka and Misato wished on. That means the other thing that was wished upon could only be one thing, couldn't it?

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	2. The Calm Before the Storm

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 2 – The Calm Before the Storm  
April 22, 2016 – NERV HQ

Misato was working at her desk. The attack of Sahaquiel, while it had been successfully stopped, had still damaged the city quite a lot, with Unit–01 doing the most damage with its supersonic interception sprint. Misato had therefore been left with a large amount of paperwork, courtesy of the Tokyo–3 government, and also a fair amount of Ritsuko as well, as all four EVAs had been damaged to varying degrees.

Misato was interrupted from the large stacks of paper by Ritsuko's arrival at her door.

"Hard at work I see, Misato." Ritsuko said.

"Bite me." Misato replied. "A third of this fucking stack is from you."

"Well, you did get the EVAs pretty banged up." Ritsuko said. "Procedure dictates…"

"Well, the procedures can lick my ass." Misato grumbled. "There isn't any point to these stupid forms anyway. The money all comes from the same place, so why have all this stupid inter agency transfer bullshit…"

"So that the budgets for each division are appropriated accordingly." Ritsuko replied.

"I hate red tape." Misato said. "So, you can't only be here to discuss the nauseating points of deep seeded bureaucracy."

"No, I am here to talk about actual work." Ritsuko said. "Namely, the EVAs."

"What about them?" Misato asked.

"Well, let's see." Ritsuko said pulling out her handy clipboard. "Unit–02 is fully operation and on standby for Angel intercept. Unit–00 and Unit–XP have at least a week's worth of repairs each, and Unit–01 has three weeks of repairs, minimum."

"Ok, so get Unit–00 and Unit–XP back to the fight, then focus all your efforts on Unit–01." Misato said. "Or is that not why you told me."

"The Commander ordered the battle hardened Unit–01 to have all efforts focused on its repair, followed by Unit–XP. Unit–00 has the lowest priority."

"Well, from a tactical standpoint, that's complete crap, but why does it matter, if the Commander ordered it, then there must be some reason he's not telling us about." Misato said. "He really seems to favor Unit–01 for some reason, like he gets a thrill out of Shinji fighting or something…"

"Yeah, some things you may never understand." Ritsuko said.

"What?" Misato asked.

"Well, the Commander is tough for anyone to understand." Ritsuko said. "So his motives are beyond comprehension for all but maybe the Sub–Commander."

"Yeah, you have a point." Misato said. "So, how long then?"

"Well, double shifts 24 hours a day for two weeks will get Unit–01 and Unit–XP back online, then another few days for Unit–00." Ritsuko said. "The Commander wants Unit–01 done first, this is the only way."

"Still though." Misato said. "You sound like a slave driver."

"I am not." Ritsuko said angrily. "I know what they call me behind my back, and it's no matter, they'll get overtime."

"Ritz!" Misato said admonishingly. "Hey still deserve to have a break."

"Well, barring any Angel attacks after the repairs are done, they can have it, but it will take time." Ritsuko said. "Work isn't about making friends, it's about working!"

"Jeez…" Misato said as she shook her head. "Ritsuko, you need to relax, you're wound up pretty tight."

"Whatever." Ritsuko said. "This is how I always am."

"Never noticed before." Misato said. "Anyway, do you have any idea about the status of the Angel Intercept System?"

"It has been repaired to 93% capacity and fully armed." Ritsuko said. "The majority of the damage the Fifth Angel wrought has been fixed. Now we're just working on a cluster of buildings in the southwest. Just a few more weeks and we'll be at full strength."

"Come to think of it, we've never had the AIS at full capacity before." Misato said. "And then all the Angels kept damaging it more, making the thing pretty much useless."

"Well, when it is online at full strength, maybe we'll be better able to defend against the Angels." Ritsuko said.

"You're the smarter of us both, but even I don't believe that line of shit." Misato said. "An N2 bomb couldn't take out any one of those fuckers, you really think some big bullets will do the trick?"

"No, but the people on this base will still see it as an improvement." Ritsuko said. "Then maybe we can begin work on the self–defense systems for HQ."

"For what?" Misato asked.

"Any outside incursions." Ritsuko said. "Countermeasures need to be in place, besides the simple Bakelite flooding that is. That won't do shit on the long run, we'd be sitting ducks."

"Wait, you mean anti–personnel defenses…" Misato said. "Do you really think anyone would ever be able to make it inside?"

"If they really wanted to, they could. With enough firepower, someone could breach the outer defenses, and get inside." Ritsuko said. "So having flamethrowers, grenade launchers, claymores, and machine guns hidden in the walls to make movement difficult for intruders would be the best option. Even if we get the system to 20% it would hamper any invasion into HQ long enough for security to respond adequately."

"Well, do whatever you have to do, Ritsuko." Misato said. "I'd rather not be caught with no way to defend ourselves against anyone trying to kill us." Misato shivered. "It's a scary thought though, humans trying to kill us. I mean, it would ironic if we were to defeat the Angels only to be ultimately killed by mankind's greatest enemy, mankind itself."

"Yes, yes it is…" Ritsuko said nervously. "But we know it's a human who disabled the power when the Ninth Angel attacked. That careless person left us entirely defenseless."

"Not entirely… they didn't get the Evangelions." Misato said.

"Regardless of that, a human still interfered with our power system." Ritsuko said angrily.

"I wonder who it could be?" Misato asked. "They'd have to be extremely crafty."

"Well, I do know of one possibility, one you may not like to hear." Ritsuko said.

"I've told you before, it wasn't Kaji." Misato said angrily. "He was in the elevator with me. I may not like him, but he's not our enemy."

"Well, he's smart enough to pull off a program to delay the shutoff until he had an alibi." Ritsuko said. "Plus, who ever said he was on our side? Can you really trust him?"

"Of course I do!" Misato said. "He's not the bad guy!" Misato glared at her friends for a moment. 'Although deep down inside, Ritsuko does have a point.' Misato thought. 'He is more that intelligent enough, and secretive enough to have pulled it off… I guess I'll have to start looking into his goings on now, to make sure he's on the up and up…'

"Well… if you're sure." Ritsuko said. 'Damn her stubbornness…' Ritsuko thought. 'I knew she still liked that creep… and I do hate when they are together… even if I am with Gendo, I don't want her to be happy.'

"I am." Misato said determinately. "I know he didn't do it."

–––

Hikari was waiting patiently for Toji to leave the classroom so she could talk to him. She decided to act on Shinji's suggestion of bringing up a common interest between the two of them. She just had to do it quietly, so she decided to make sure she brought up his sister when gave him his gift.

Hikari saw Toji walk out and took her shot. "Hey, Toji!" Hikari said happily.

"Heya, Hikari!" Toji said. "Why are you still here, I thought you went home."

"Well, I was planning to, but I forgot to give this to you." Hikari said holding out a bag. "It's something for your sister."

Toji opened it and raised his eyebrows. "Wow, Hikari, this is pretty nice of you." Toji said. "This is one of those deluxe figures, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Sailor Saturn is pretty awesome." Hikari said. "I thought she might like it."

"Yeah, she'll love it. It's pretty cool." Toji said.

"Great!" Hikari smiled. "So, I'm guessing you've watched the show with her then."

"Well, a few times…" Toji said quietly. "But its cause she likes it so much, I'm just being a good big brother."

"Well, you know its ok for a guy to like Sailor Moon." Hikari whispered back. "If I knew a guy like that, I'd think they were pretty cool."

"Yeah, well, it's just for her…" Toji said nervously.

Hikari smiled. 'Awww, its cute he doesn't want to admit he likes the show…' Hikari thought. 'But he seems really happy, anyway…'

"So, uh… Hikari… do you want to come with me to visit her?" Toji asked.

"No, I have dinner to make for my sisters." Hikari said. "Just let your sister know I got that for her, ok?"

"Don't worry, I never take credit for other people's kindness." Toji said. "Thanks again, Hikari. See ya tomorrow at Shinji's!"

"Bye, Toji!" Hikari said happily. "Well, that's the first step…" Hikari said to herself. "Now I just have to figure out how to make lunch for him. May as well follow Shinji's advice for the lunch thing too… he was right about this, so I wonder if his lightning will strike twice."

–––

Shinji was sitting in a room with a large TV. There was a video game plying on the screen in front of him, with a beautiful redheaded girl sitting at the controls. She beckoned him over to play with her.

" _Come here, Shinji._ " The girl said. " _We should play a game._ "

"Ok." Shinji said.

Shinji sat next to the girl. Her face was obscured by her wild hair, and he always tried to see who she was, but her face was always covered from view.

"So what game is this?" Shinji asked.

" _Any game you want it to be…_ " The girl said. " _I love you Shinji, just being near you makes me feel special._ "

"Does it really?" Shinji asked.

" _Of course._ " The girl said. " _You like me for who I am… and I love you for that and your wonderful, kind heart._ "

"I'm not that great…" Shinji said.

" _Stop selling yourself short, silly._ " The girl said. " _You'll find me eventually. Then we may be truly happy together, as it was meant to be._ "

"Doubtful…" Shinji said. "I don't even know who you are."

" _You don't recognize me?_ " The girl asked.

"No, I just know I love you somehow." Shinji said. "I can't explain it."

" _Why don't you recognize me, Shinji?_ " the girl asked angrily.

"I can't see your face." Shinji said. "Can you move your hair out of the way so I can see who you are?"

" _I'm sorry, I can't do that Shinji._ " The girl said as her hair and the scene around Shinji disappeared, and the girl was replaced by a mottled grey monster. " _Do you recognize me now?_ "

"No, get away from me you freak!" Shinji shouted. "You're the EVA, you can't be here! I'm nowhere near you!"

" _I am a part of you, Shinji Ikari._ " The beast said. " _Can you not see that we are linked beyond the physical?_ "

"No, we're not linked!" Shinji shouted. "You're just a fucking machine!"

" _I am far more than you realize, Shinji._ " The beast said. " _That girl may be a part of you, but so am I._ "

"What did you do with her, give her back!" Shinji demanded.

" _No._ " The beast said. " _She is a large distraction, so she will stay away for now, I need to tell you something, Shinji._ "

"No, get away from me!" Shinji said as the beast walked towards him. "Go away!"

" _We will become one, Shinji._ " The beast said. " _You must learn what I have to tell you._ "

"NOOOOO!" Shinji screamed. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Shinji woke with a start and looked around him. He was breathing heavily and there was a large commotion at his door and the light flipped on. Asuka, Mari and Misato, with her gun drawn were standing in his doorway and they all looked worried.

"Shinji, what's wrong?!" Misato said as she pointed the gun into his room. "Is someone in here?!"

"No… I'm fine…" Shinji muttered sheepishly. "I… I had a nightmare…" Shinji said.

"A nightmare?" Misato asked as she lowered her gun. "A nightmare made you scream like that?"

"Yeah we thought you were being murdered." Asuka said.

"Or worse." Mari said.

"No, I'm… I'm fine…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry that I scared you all."

"What was it about?" Mari asked.

"I don't really remember now…" Shinji lied. "I just felt afraid and screamed. I'm really sorry. But I'm fine now, so you can all go back to sleep."

Mari and Asuka exchanged a look and Misato looked worried.

"No, you're not fine." Mari said. "You're sweating like a pig. You're not sleeping alone tonight. You're coming to our room."

"Yeah, you're coming… what?!" Asuka shouted.

"He's sleeping in our room." Mari said. "Unless you'd rather his nightmares continue, princess."

"No, I'd rather him not be screaming bloody murder…" Asuka muttered.

"I agree with Asuka." Misato said. "Shinji, go into their room, I'm sure Mari would be happy to cuddle."

"No, my back hurts for gym today." Mari said. "I'm sure Asuka can share though."

"Why? I like sleeping alone!" Asuka said angrily. 'Scheisse!' Asuka thought. 'I wouldn't mind sleeping next to him again, but I'm afraid of being that close to him again… I just want to be with him and show him I'm a grown woman… but I don't think he'd accept me… I haven't exactly been the nicest to him…'

"It's ok if you don't want to Asuka." Shinji said sadly. "I know it's a lot to ask."

"What are you stupid or something?" Asuka asked. "Of course you can sleep next to me, but if anyone finds out, it'll be your last night on earth."

"I'm not going to tell, Asuka." Shinji said. "I promise."

"Same goes for you two." Asuka said threateningly. "One word, and I'll end you both."

"Alright, princess, relax." Mari said. "My lips are sealed."

"Asuka, you do realize I'm armed, right?" Misato said. "Is it really wise to threaten me?"

"Misato… we fight massive killing beasts for a living inside giant mechanized beasts." Asuka said. "Do you really think that thing is going to scare me?"

"Well…" Misato mumbled.

"Yeah, it doesn't." Asuka said.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone." Misato said. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." Asuka said. "So, baka, a few rules."

"Ok…" Shinji said.

"Hands to yourself, we sleep back to back, and bring your own pillow." Asuka rattled off.

"Alright, Asuka…" Shinji said as he stood up and grabbed his pillow.

"Alright, Shinji, sleep well." Misato said.

"Yeah, puppy, see you in a few." Mari said.

Misato and Mari walked out of the room leaving the two of them alone.

"Asuka… uh… thank you…" Shinji said. "You know I could just sleep on the floor, if you want to sleep alone…"

"No, baka. It'll be better to sleep next to someone after you've had a nightmare…" Asuka said. "My mother… she used to do that when I had a nightmare."

"Oh…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry…"

"Why the hell are you sorry?" Asuka asked.

"It's just a habit of mine to say it…" Shinji said. "Sorry…"

"Mien Gott… we've got to fix that." Asuka said as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, and baka, those rules, don't worry."

"About what?" Shinji asked innocently.

"We'll just sleep like we did last week." Asuka said. "It was… um… comfortable."

"Oh…" Shinji said nervously. "Um… Asuka?"

"Yeah, Shinji?" Asuka asked.

Shinji blushed. "I thought it was nice too…"

Asuka shook her head. "Pervert…"

"I thought we were over that…" Shinji said.

"Not quite." Asuka said. "Maybe more cuddling will fix my perception of you."

"I'm not sure how that works, but you're the genius." Shinji said.

"Well, you answered your own question, didn't you, baka?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah… I kinda did." Shinji said.

"Well, let's go, I'm tired, and I want to go to bed." Asuka said. "I need my beauty sleep after all. I can't stay this way on no sleep."

"Asuka, you look fine." Shinji said without thinking.

"What?" Asuka asked. "You really think that?"

"Yeah… you're pretty Asuka." Shinji said.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Asuka said. "You're already going to be in bed with me, dummkopf."

"But it's true Asuka." Shinji said. "I'm not trying to flatter you."

"Oh… well, compliment accepted." Asuka said. "Now, let's get to bed before I regret doing this favor for you, baka."

* * *

April 24, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji was sitting alone in the kitchen. He had just finished washing the bentos out and decided to take a break before starting dinner. As he was sitting there, Mari, Misato, and Asuka came into the kitchen, all dressed to go somewhere.

"Hey guys…" Shinji said. "Where are you all off to?"

"Yeah, Misato, you're all dressed up and everything." Mari said.

"Well, I have to go to another wedding…" Misato said. "It's like the fifth or sixth one in the last few months, it's getting expensive."

"Why is it expensive?" Shinji asked.

"Well, basically you have to buy a gift, then you have to buy a new dress for each one." Misato explained. "Then of course you have t get the time to go out with them, and seeing as all these wedding are NERV staff, we all basically hope and pray no Angels attack."

"Why the hell do you buy a new dress for each fucking wedding?" Asuka asked.

"Well, the bride will always be offended for some reason." Misato said. "Like it's an insult to wear a ¥60,000 only once and never wear it again."

"Weddings are stupid." Asuka said. "What a bunch of fucking wackos." Asuka shook her head. "I'm glad I don't plan on getting married… and even if I did somehow, I wouldn't be such a crazy bitch."

"Well, that would be a shock to us all, princess." Mari quipped. "You getting married that is." Mari smirked. "It'd be more like a miracle."

"HEY!" Asuka shouted.

"Mari, that's not a very nice thing to say!" Shinji said as he glared at her and Mari winked subtly at him.

"Well, puppy, I was just saying what was on my mind." Mari said. "But seeing as you think I'm wrong…"

"I do!" Shinji said emphatically. "She has just as much of a chance of getting married as the rest of us!"

"Including Misato?" Mari asked.

"Yes, including Misato." Shinji replied.

"Well then, I'm doomed." Asuka said. "She doesn't have much chance at her age…"

"THE FUCK?!" Misato shouted.

"Asuka, I just told Mari off for that same thing!" Shinji said admonishingly. "Everyone deserves someone who loves them, everyone has an equal chance of finding that special someone."

"You're such a romantic, puppy!" Mari said exuberantly.

"Yeah, who knew Shinji had such a positive outlook on life." Misato quipped.

"Clearly none of us did." Asuka said.

"Yeah, well, nobody ever asked." Shinji said. "I would have told you if you'd asked."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind puppy, but I have to get going." Mari said.

"Will you be back for dinner?" Shinji asked.

"Nope, the blueberry and I are going to the mall, so no dinner for me." Mari said.

"Or me." Misato said. "And I won't be back till late, so don't wait up."

"Alright." Shinji said. "What about you, Asuka?"

"Oh, I'm just going out for a walk." Asuka said. "I should be back by dinner, or later. Just leave me a plate if I'm not back in time."

"Ok, Asuka." Shinji said happily. "Then I guess I'll see you all later."

"Bye, puppy!" Mari said happily.

"Be good, Shinji." Misato said.

Asuka waved her hand. "Later, baka."

–––

Toji was with his sister in the hospital. She was lying in bed still, having not been able to move her legs for a few weeks. Toji looked at her worriedly, and Sakura stirred.

"How am I supposed to sleep when you brood so loudly?" Sakura said.

"What?" Toji asked.

"Toji, you're staring too much, just relax, the doctors said it's just my body's response to the medication." Sakura said calmly. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm still worried." Toji said.

"Yeah, well, Shinji is still worse off than you." Sakura said. "He keeps telling me to get better and that he feels guilty and all, and I keep telling him I'd rather be like this than dead, which usually makes him smile a bit."

"Well, it's true…" Toji said. "But I just wish you'd get better."

"Well, the doctors are trying to get some help from NERV, but they keep saying it's all experimental." Sakura said.

"How do you overhear all this?" Toji asked.

Sakura giggled. "I pretend to be asleep."

"Wow, that's pretty sneaky, sis." Toji said.

"Impressed?" Sakura asked.

"A bit, yeah." Toji said.

"Hang on, you weren't only brooding about me, were you?" Sakura asked.

"No…" Toji said as he looked over at the Sailor Saturn figure on Sakura's nightstand. "I'm still thinking of Hikari's gift."

"You mean the gift of your favorite Sailor Senshi?" Sakura asked. "Jesus, you're dense."

"I'm not dense." Toji said.

"Wanna bet?" Sakura asked. "She likes you, dumbass."

"Wait… what?" Toji said. "You're kidding."

"Nope." Sakura said. "I'm not sure how she guessed it, but she knows you like the show. That is unless someone told her…" Sakura scratched her head. "Probably Shinji. If he found out she liked you, he'd try to help."

"Damn him, I told him not to tell anyone…" Toji said.

"Oh relax, Toji." Sakura said. "He did for a good reason. This gift is definitely for you."

"How, she knows you like the show." Toji said.

"She also knows my favorite is Sailor Moon." Sakura said. "Hikari's too detail oriented to forget that."

"Jeez, sis, you sound so mature and smart." Toji said.

"Facing death does that to a person." Sakura said. "Plus, I'm not the smart one in the family, you are. Maybe if you applied yourself a bit more…"

"Oh, quiet, I do just fine!" Toji exclaimed.

"Well, dad can't be like mom, so who's gonna push your stubborn butt to use that head of yours." Sakura said. "I'll push you, even from a wheelchair if I have to."

"Not funny, sis." Toji said coolly.

"Come on, I won't need a wheelchair, Toji." Sakura said. "Lighten up a bit."

"Whatever." Toji said.

"Hey, don't forget, we're talking about a girl that likes you." Sakura said. "Come on, think about it, you must have noticed something."

"Well… she has been quiet for a few weeks around me, almost like she's afraid of something…" Toji said.

"Like the overwhelming feeling of kissing the boy she loves?" Sakura asked.

"Nah, she's not like that." Toji said.

"Maybe she is." Sakura smirked. "But you'll have to talk to her to find out."

"Yeah, but how?" Toji asked. "I mean, I talk a big game about girls, but I've really never thought about having a girlfriend before…"

"Well, thankfully you have a resident expert on girls right here." Sakura said.

"You, sis?" Toji said. "Isn't it a bit weird to get dating advice from your sister?"

"I don't think so." Sakura said. "I'd like your guidance when I start dating."

"You can't date till you're 30." Toji said plainly.

"Yeah, sure, try and stop me bro." Sakura joked.

"I'll try my damnedest." Toji replied. "No creep is ever getting near you."

"As sweet as that is, bro, I can fight my own battles." Sakura replied. "Now, enough about my love life, it's time to focus on yours…"

–––

Misato and Ritsuko were waiting at a table at the reception of their co–worker's wedding. The head of Division 2 had gotten married to his sweetheart, mostly due to the constant threat of Angel attacks, he didn't want to die without marrying her. The reception had just started, and even though Kaji had been invited to the wedding ceremony, he had yet to show up at all.

"I wonder where Kaji is." Ritsuko said. "He never one to miss a party, is he?"

"That jerk is never on time to anything." Misato said angrily. "Figures he'd say he's coming and then not show up. I'm just glad I don't have to get stuck sitting near him all damn night."

"Odd, he's always at work so early, it's almost like he sleeps there." Ritsuko said.

"He's always been so engrossed by his work." Misato said.

"I'm engrossed, Katsuragi, I'm dedicated to my job." Kaji said, walking up behind them. "Just like you are."

"Oh, quiet you." Misato said. "I mean did you didn't even bother to shave that stupid scruffy beard of yours. Damn slob…" Misato reached out and grabbed his tie. "Your tie is crooked too, you ass."

"Thanks, Katsuragi…" Kaji said. "But getting stuck at work tends to mean I don't get to clean myself up." Kaji smiled. "That and the scruff makes me look dashing."

"No, it makes you look like a teen who just started growing facial hair." Misato snapped.

"Look, the old married couple are at it again." Ritsuko said. "For two people who don't like each other, you argue like you do."

"You're very perceptive Ritsuko." Kaji said.

"It's a gift." Ritsuko said.

"Who the hell would marry this bum?" Misato asked.

"Oh…" Kaji and Ritsuko said together.

"So, what held you up this time?" Ritsuko said trying to change the subject.

"Well, a little thing I was doing for the Commander, I just got back from my review of the 10th Branch down in Hong Kong." Kaji said. "Nice place, little smaller than the European branches, but otherwise, it's a great place to live. Certainly less Angel shit going on."

"Well, how nice for you." Misato said. "Find any good hookers?"

"Really, Misato, why would _I_ have to pay for sex?" Kaji smirked. "You know I don't need to, right? I can get everyone except who I really want."

"Is that so, Kaji?" Ritsuko said. "Anyone except the one you really want…"

"Yeah, that's how it goes." Kaji said. "Next place I get to go is the 16th Branch in Tel Aviv, can't wait to see that one, I hear it's a nice city."

"Yeah, surrounded by irradiated wastelands." Misato said. "They literally nuked the Middle East into oblivion, it's not exactly a hot tourist destination."

"Well, if you count the radiation, it is." Kaji joked.

"Actually, the area around Israel and a few of the other countries has been pretty well cleaned up, so it's not all that bad. Radiation levels are also lower than what they are in Old Tokyo." Ritsuko explained. "Or for that matter Hiroshima or Nagasaki."

"Well, thanks for the science lesson, but we're at a wedding." Misato said. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, Katsuragi." Kaji said. "Over more drinks."

"Yeah… more booze!" Misato said excitedly.

"Great, and it's an open bar…" Ritsuko said shaking her head.

"Yeah, it's fucking awesome!" Misato said happily.

–––

Mari met Rei at the mall, per her request. Mari was somewhat confused as to why Rei wouldn't want to walk with her from her apartment, but Mari was just happy that Rei was free. When Mari approached the entrance, she saw Rei in her school uniform standing very still and waiting patiently.

"HEY, BLUEBERRY!" Mari shouted.

Rei looked up and waved as Mari ran over. "I am not deaf, Mari." Rei said as Mari smiled stupidly.

"Well, I like to make my presence known." Mari said.

"Well, you accomplish that goal more than adequately." Rei said. "But please refrain from further shouting, it is excessively loud."

"Awww… ok, blueberry." Mari said. "So, do you know where you want to go?"

"I need to procure presents for you, Shinji, and Asuka, and also Misato as well." Rei explained. "Perhaps I should just buy gifts for Christmas, as I don't know when Shinji's birthday is."

"It's June 6th." Mari said. "So, we're all throwing him a surprise party like he did to us." Mari said. "I'm still buying him a present though."

"So I will buy Shinji two presents." Rei said. "One for Christmas, and one for his birthday."

"What about my birthday present?" Mari asked.

"Is this trip to the mall not your present?" Rei asked.

"I know, I'm just kidding, blueberry." Mari chuckled. "And you gave Asuka your friendship for her birthday, so what would you give Shinji?"

"I do not know, he already has my friendship, perhaps a physical gift is the best solution." Rei said.

"Sex isn't the answer silly." Mari purred.

"Are you making a joke out of my use of the word physical?" Rei asked.

"Maybe…" Mari said coyly.

"I meant to buy him a physical, corporeal present, not to give him sexual pleasure, Mari." Rei said. "You have your mind very firmly in the… how does Hikari see it… the gutter. I believe is the phrase she uses."

"You catch on quick, blueberry." Mari said. "My mind being that way is just who I am though."

"Well, it is interesting to see your comments make everyone blush or yell loudly." Rei said. "Asuka has the most volatile reactions to your suggestions."

"Well, she's easy to mess with." Mari said. "It's almost not fun."

"But you insist on continuing to pester her." Rei said.

Mari smirked. "I said _almost_ , blueberry."

"Semantics aside, I do require your assistance in finding something Shinji and Asuka will like." Rei said. "I am not good with buying… things."

"Well, I think you'll do fine." Mari said. "Just follow what your heart tells you to buy."

"Is it really that simple, Mari?" Rei asked. "Follow my heart, and it will lead the way?"

Mari grinned. "Exactly, blueberry."

"So, what stores are good to buy presents in?" Rei asked.

Mari grinned. "Well, why don't I show you where to go."

–––

Asuka was walking on the quiet streets of Tokyo–3. She was bored and thinking of the last few weeks, and everything that had happened.

'Why is everything so shitty?' Asuka said. 'I like Shinji, but I can't be myself around him… I can't be happy or sweet when other people are around, it's just so against everything I've led myself to believe… that I like to be alone, that I can do everything myself, that I can just go through life without friends…' Asuka sighed. 'But I have friends now. I feel happy… being near Shinji makes me happy. But my mind just yells and screams at me that I should be alone, and it's so hard to deal with that little voice in my head.'

Asuka kicked the ground and kept walking. 'I hate what I've become sometimes, it's so hard to be open with other people being around me.' Asuka thought angrily. 'Being near Shinji for some reason makes me feel safe, and lets me open up… something I can't do with anyone else… and I have trouble with my feelings… and I can't ask anyone about my feelings… so I'm all alone to be confused like this… I wish my mother was still alive… she'd know what to do about Shinji… she was always so smart, she'd help me with my feelings…'

Asuka came back towards the apartment and looked up at it. 'Maybe if we're alone, I could try and open up to him… and maybe find out whether or not he likes me…'

Asuka walked into the apartment and heard music coming from Shinji's room. "What's going on in there?" Asuka said quietly.

Asuka walked up to Shinji's room quietly and looked inside. Shinji was sitting so peacefully and he looked so focused on the piece Asuka didn't have the heart to interrupt him. She was mesmerized by how beautifully Shinji was playing. When he finished Asuka clapped enthusiastically. "Bravo, Shinji!"

Shinji jumped at the sound of her voice. "Asuka! You scared me!"

"Sorry, Shinji." Asuka said. "I just didn't want to interrupt that beautiful piece of music."

"It's alright, Asuka." Shinji blushed. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Well, I'm surprised you know how to play." Asuka said. "How did you get started?"

"Well, when I was in Atsugi, my sensei told me it might help me stay calm and help me with the shit I went through at school, so I started and never stopped." Shinji explained. "I only know the one piece, I'm not very good at it though."

"The hell you're not." Asuka said. "You were great!"

"Was I really?" Shinji asked.

"You know, you need to be more confident, baka." Asuka said. "You're good at a lot of stuff, embrace it. You need to embrace it."

"Thanks, Asuka." Shinji said sheepishly. "So, how was your walk?" Shinji asked.

"Shitty." Asuka said. "This guy kept bugging me, so I had to deal with him."

"He's not dead is he?" Shinji asked.

"No, but his chances of having children have greatly diminished." Asuka joked. "That and he cried like a bitch…"

"Asuka, almost any man will cry if he's kicked in the dick." Shinji said. "It's a sensitive area. Although, you already know that considering that's where you hit him…"

"Well, duh baka!" Asuka said indignantly. "It's the best place to take a man down, and it's so exposed and delicate."

"Well, Asuka, just don't make a habit of kicking guys in the dick." Shinji said. "Unless they deserve it."

"I'm aware of that." Asuka said. "So… did you eat yet?"

"No… I got bored, and I figured I'd be alone for a while." Shinji said. "If you give me a few minutes, I'll think of something to make."

"Alright, I'm going to go shower…" Asuka said. "Get the stench of retarded man off me."

"Alright…" Shinji said. "It should be ready when you get out."

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka said as she went towards the bathroom.

–––

Misato, Kaji, and Ritsuko were sitting at the bar. Misato was quite drunk, and Kaji was holding his own while Ritsuko watched in amusement at how ridiculous Misato was being. The reception was close to finishing, and the open bar was closing, and Misato still wanted to party.

"Oh, what a waste… they still have booze back there!" Misato said drunkenly.

"Misato, don't you need to stop drinking?" Ritsuko asked.

"No… don't be such a spoiled sport." Misato said. "I can handle my liquor."

"Sure you can…" Ritsuko quipped. "You're only a few drinks away from throwing up or pissing in a bush on the side of the road…"

"Every party needs a pooper… that's why they invited you… party pooper… party pooper…" Misato sang drunkenly.

Kaji chuckled. "You walked right into that one, Ritsuko."

"Yeah, well… whatever…" Ritsuko said.

"Well… I'm gonna go powder my nose…" Misato said as she staggered to her feet. "I wanna look good for the next bar I'm going to…"

Ritsuko rolled her eyes. "Typical Misato… drinks her problems away."

"Well, she has some shit in there she can't handle… we all do…" Kaji said. "Anyone who went through Second Impact does."

"You might be right, Kaji." Ritsuko said.

"It's such a shame though… she's drinking too much." Kaji said. "She's losing control of herself. I don't like seeing her like this."

"Means you still care, even after that fight you two had." Ritsuko said.

"You heard it then, through the wall." Kaji said.

"Yeah, I did." Ritsuko said. "It was pretty fucked."

"It was…" Kaji said. "Not a proud moment for me… or her I suspect."

"Well, it was pretty heated." Ritsuko said. "Why didn't you just admit you loved her?"

"I couldn't…" Kaji said. "I have issues too from Second Impact… things I don't like thinking about. It's just easier that way."

"Stubborn as all men…" Ritsuko said. "Well, you have your reasons, so I can't really question them."

"Well, wherever she goes, I'll be right behind her." Kaji said. "I need to protect her."

"I'm back…" Misato said. "So… who wants to keep drinking?"

"Well, I'm game!" Kaji said happily.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Ritsuko said. "Have fun you two."

"Later, Ritsuko…" Misato said. "So is just me and the slob…"

"Be nice, Katsuragi, I might have to carry you home." Kaji said.

"I doubt it, I'll be fine." Misato said.

"Sure you will…" Kaji muttered.

"So, where's the bar?" Misato asked as Kaji followed closely behind her.

–––

Rei had several bags of shopping with her after several long hours at the mall, and with Mari's assistance, she was carrying everything to the food court.

"So, blueberry, what do you want to eat?" Mari asked.

"Anything that does not involve meat."

"Is shrimp ok?"

"It is meat." Rei replied.

"Ok, how about the onigiri stand?" Mari asked. "We can get you some sweet bean paste ones, or something like that."

"I quite enjoy sweet bean paste." Rei said.

"Good, it's settled." Mari said. "Let's get a bunch. I hope you don't mind if I pig out and have beef and pork and chicken in mine."

"I do not mind, Mari." Rei said. "Do not let my diet dictate how you eat. I am simply glad you respect my request."

"Well, sit here and I'll order for you." Mari said. "So, how many do you want?"

"Two will suffice." Rei said.

"Ok, be back in a minute." Mari said as she wandered off to the stall and returned with six onigiri on a platter and two waters.

"Are you hungry?" Rei asked.

"Starving…" Mari said.

"What did you get?" Rei asked.

"Well I got one pork, one beef, one chicken, and one sausage… I just wanted to try them all." Mari smiled. "And I got you two sweet bean paste ones."

"Thank you, Mari." Rei said as she began to eat.

"Rei… I have a question." Mari asked. "Why are you a vegetarian?"

"It is not a choice." Rei replied sullenly.

"Really?" Mari said. "I'm sorry for bringing it up…"

"It is alright, Mari." Rei said. "Shinji asked why after Asuka's birthday, and I told him then, but I guess he did not see the need to share this with you."

"Well, he considers the private stuff he learns about his friends, well, private." Mari said. "It's a good trait to have. You can't go around spreading other people's secrets, blueberry."

"Then I will have to thank him for keeping my secret." Rei said. "The reason I am a vegetarian, or more specifically a vegan, is due to a genetic defect I have that does not allow my digestive system to break down the complex structures of animal products."

"Genetic defect?" Mari asked.

"Yes, it is an extremely rare occurrence from what I have read." Rei replied. "It is a shame, as the food smells so wonderful, but it makes me extremely ill."

"Oh…" Mari said sadly. "Sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing?" Rei asked.

"Because, I'm eating all this in front of you." Mari said.

"Do not feel guilty, Mari." Rei said kindly. "I do not want my condition to ruin your dinner. That would be unfair of me."

"Sure…" Mari said as she returned to her food.

As Mari ate she got to thinking. 'That sure isn't a genetic defect I've ever heard of… the only time I've seen that is with those soulless bodies Kyoko made in the lab… they had a few abnormalities, including that quirk and odd colored fir… no… that can't be right…' Mari glanced at Rei's beautiful crimson eyes and pale blue hair. 'No… she can't be a clone… why would Gendo clone Yui? I mean, she has Yui's eyes… and that disc Fuyutsuki gave me… that disc has Gendo concocting a whole other plan… a plan that should be changed to let Shinji have control… he's the only one that can be trusted.'

"Mari, are you alright?" Rei asked. "You look aggravated."

"Oh, I'm just thinking of school." Mari fibbed. "I hate having to listen to that old guy drone on about life before Second Impact. It's so damn boring."

"I believe the entire class reflects those sentiments." Rei replied. "Myself included."

Mari smiled. "Yeah, those lectures make me feel so tired…" Mari looked at Rei and smiled. 'I guess I have to do a little digging on you, and hopefully my gut feeling about how you came to be is false…' Mari thought. 'But even if it's true, I don't think it would affect how I feel about you, my sweet little blueberry….'

–––

Dinner was on the stove, and Shinji was lying on the couch reading through the cookbook Asuka had gotten him for Christmas. He was trying to see what new recipe he'd try for dinner the next day when he heard the phone ring.

Shinji went to pick up the phone, and heard a very drunk Misato on the other end.

"Hello?" Shinji asked.

" _Hey, Shinji…_ " Misato said.

"Hello, Misato… is something wrong?" Shinji asked.

" _Nope, just going out drinking some more with Kaji._ " Misato said. " _Don't wait up for us… I probably won't be back until really, really late._ "

"Alright, Misato… be safe." Shinji said.

" _Later…_ " Misato mumbled.

Shinji put down the phone and got dinner off the stove. Asuka came out of the bathroom all dressed and drying her hair.

"Hey, who was on the phone?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, just Misato." Shinji replied. "She's going out drinking with Kaji, so she won't be back until very late. She said not to wait up."

"Oh, well… that happened." Asuka said. 'So, Kaji might finally get the person he wants… good for him… maybe I can try too…' Asuka thought as she noticed that Shinji was reading the cookbook she'd given him for Christmas. "So, find anything else wonderful to cook in there?"

"Yeah, a few things." Shinji said. "But I'd like to surprise you all."

"Well, fair enough." Asuka said. "Thanks for making too, Shinji. It's so thoughtful of you."

"Yeah, I sometimes wonder if you three could feed yourselves without me." Shinji joked.

"I doubt this place would function without you, Shinji…" Asuka said as she walked to the table. "We'd be fucking lost without your homemaker skills."

"Yeah, Mari can clean dishes, but none of you can cook." Shinji quipped.

"Hey, leave the cooking incident alone, Shinji." Asuka said. "It was one time."

"One time that _almost_ killed me." Shinji said.

"Fine, you have a point, baka…" Asuka shook her head. 'God, I just want to slap him for saying that, but I also want to kiss him at the same time.' Asuka thought. 'Well… maybe I could kiss him, no one's around, and we're all alone, just that night before we fought the Seventh Angel again… I just want to be with him…'

"So, let's eat." Shinji said as he served dinner for the both of them.

–––

Kaji was supporting Misato in an alleyway. She was expelling the contents of her stomach quite violently, and besides supporting er, Kaji was holding Misato's hair so she didn't get chunks of vomit caught in her long hair.

"Drinking till you throw up, how old are you?" Kaji asked.

"Old enough to regret it." Misato said weakly. "Young enough to still pull it off without dying, although, it's going to suck in the morning…"

"Well, I did try to stop you…" Kaji said.

"Well, I'm an adult, you don't have to watch me." Misato said.

"I do, Katsuragi." Kaji said. "It worries me when you're like this."

"Well, I'm like this a lot, just mostly at home, that way I'm not staggering home drunk…" Misato said. "Can you help me up, Kaji?"

"Of course." Kaji said as he helped her strengthen up. "Would you rather I carry you to your apartment?"

"Yeah, I'm having trouble in these high heels, the ground keeps moving…" Misato slurred.

"Of course it is…" Kaji said. "Here, climb on my back and hold on, I'll get you home soon."

"Thanks, Kaji…" Misato said.

Kaji began the walk back in silence. He assumed Misato was asleep from the drinking too much, but he found out rather suddenly that she had merely been thinking a great deal.

"Kaji… do you think I've changed?" Misato asked.

"I think you're even more beautiful than you were in college."

"That's not what I meant." Misato slurred. "When I told you there was someone else, it wasn't true. But, you knew that didn't you?"

"I had a feeling it was to get me to say something you wanted me to say." Kaji said. "That in my jealousy, I'd admit what you wanted to hear so desperately."

"Well, you're right…" Misato said. "I had realized that you were a lot like my father… always caught up in your life's work, and never devoting yourself fully to me… there was always something else… I guess I was afraid and gave you an out…"

"Misato, there's no need to apologize, I forgave you long ago." Kaji said.

"Well, the problem is, I still love you…" Misato said. "But did you love me?"

"Of course I did, Misato…" Kaji said. "I never stopped."

"Why can't you say the word, Kaji?!" Misato said. "Its four letters… "l" "o" "v" and an "e" it spells love!"

"I know that, and you know I can't be that happy until I fulfill what I set out to do after my brother died… avenge his death and bring those involved in Second Impact to justice."

"Well, I joined NERV to kill Angels, not to solve some conspiracy theory…" Misato mumbled.

"Well, my reasons for joining NERV was to get to the bottom of things, something I'm very close to." Kaji said. "I just need more time to gather what I need."

"Well I hope you admit it, Kaji…" Misato said as she slid off his back. "I can walk better now…"

Misato staggered away from Kaji a bit and stumbled from her uneasy walk. Kaji caught her and held her tight and they looked into each other's eyes.

"Ryoji…" Misato mumbled. "I can't believe I still love you."

"I can." Kaji smiled. "You never stopped, and neither did I." Kaji said as he kissed her deeply on the lips and two of them stood there and enjoyed the moment, and the spark the felt in the air at that moment.

–––

Asuka was lying on the floor, thinking of a way to kiss Shinji.

'You'd think it'd be easy to make something up… but this isn't exactly a regular activity… especially for me.' Asuka thought. 'Well, I'll have to wing it…'

Shinji was engrossed in the cookbook and Pen–Pen was lounging next to Shinji on the couch. The penguin looked over at Asuka and blinked.

"Hey, Shinji." Asuka called out. "You wanna kiss me?"

"What was that?" Shinji asked.

"Do you want to kiss me?" Asuka asked again.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"I'm bored, and I want to see what it's like…" Asuka said. "Have you ever kissed someone before?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said shyly.

"Who?!" Asuka demanded.

"I don't really…" Shinji started.

"Who, Shinji?!" Asuka demanded.

"Mari…" Shinji said quietly. "It was Mari…"

"How long has this been going on?" Asuka asked angrily.

"We've only kissed three times, Asuka." Shinji said. "It was just a friendly kiss on the lips, noting else."

"That's not friendly at all, it's too familiar for friends to do!" Asuka said. 'Damn that four eyed bitch!' Asuka thought. 'She took my baka's first kiss… damn her to hell… now I have to prove I'm a better kisser!'

"Asuka, do you still want to kiss?" Shinji asked. "I can understand if you don't want to anymore."

"Of course I do!" Asuka said angrily. "Now I want to prove who the better kisser is!"

"Fine, pucker up!" Shinji said.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Asuka asked.

"I always brush after dinner." Shinji replied.

"Good, because here I come." Asuka said.

Asuka stepped forward towards Shinji. She stood a few inches from him, her face very close to his. He had closed his eyes and had already puckered his lips. She could feel his warm breath on her face.

"Your breathing tickles…" Asuka muttered as she turned a bright shade of red.

"Sorry…" Shinji said as he also blushed heavily.

"Don't be." Asuka replied as she leaned towards him and they locked lips.

They both felt a burst of warmth in their chests, and Shinji wrapped his arms around Asuka's waist, while she wrapped her arms around his middle. They lost track of time in their own little world as their lips parted so that their tongues were able to explore each other's mouths. They enjoyed their kiss until they heard the door open and heard someone speak and break the tender moment.

"Holy shit…" Mari said. "It's actual puppy love…"

Asuka jumped back from Shinji and glared at Mari before she ran off to her room, her face red with embarrassment, and her eyes wet with the saddest of tears.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "Come back!"

"Leave me alone, Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "Just leave me alone!"

"No, Asuka, don't go!" Shinji pleaded as her door was slammed in his face. "Asuka, don't run away like this…" Shinji had tears in his eyes and he pounded his fist on her door. 'Don't take away the best moment of my life… don't leave me… Asuka… please don't leave me…' Shinji thought. 'Please, just come back to me…' Shinji tried to open Asuka's door, but she slammed it again.

"I told you to go the fuck away!" Asuka screamed. "I don't ever want to talk to you or your girlfriend again!"

"Asuka, we're not dating!" Shinji said as he cried outside her door. "Please, don't be mad… you're the better kisser!"

"I don't care anymore!" Asuka screamed. "I never get to have any time alone with you, it always gets ruined by four eyes!"

"Asuka, I'm not leaving you alone!" Shinji said. "Just like before, I'm right here for you!"

Asuka door slid open and Asuka shoved Shinji away from her door. "The Walls of Jericho are gone, all that's left is Fort Knox, Shinji." Asuka said as she glared at Shinji with tears streaming down her face. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

Shinji looked dejected and stared at Asuka's door at it slammed shut once more.

"Shinji, what's wrong?" Mari asked. "What was that?"

"Just my life in a nutshell…" Shinji said as he went to his room. "Being happy and then having that happiness ripped away from you in an instant…"

"Shinji wait!" Mari said as Shinji closed his door on her, leaving Mari all alone still confused as to why the two of them were kissing. Mari looked at his door, and then listened to her own. She could hear crying from inside, and decided it would be better to wait before entering.

Inside the room, Asuka had her face buried in her pillow, and she was bawling her eyes out.

'Why did she have to ruin that?!' Asuka thought angrily. 'She ruined my first kiss! She just had to come back and do that! She gets him and his kisses all to herself, and then she has to ruin mine! Mari ruins everything! She ruined my plan to get close to Shinji, and then the moment I get enough alone tome to kiss him, she ruins it!'

Asuka punched her pillow. 'I hate him of making me like him, and I hate my heart for telling me I should have kissed him, now that bitch knows I like Shinji! I don't want to share him, I want him all to myself!'

Asuka kept crying and then after a short while, cried herself into an uneasy sleep. Mari had been listening at the door the whole time and felt horrible for interrupting.

'Damn my timing…' Mari thought. 'I knew I should've just stayed at Rei's apartment… now I've gone and ruined their first kiss… I don't know who's going to hate me more… Asuka… or Shinji…'

Shinji was in his room, and could also hear Asuka's crying. 'She slammed the door in my face, how was I supposed to do anything?' Shinji thought. 'She even showed me… not even a minute after we were kissing… she hates me no for some reason, and I just don't get it… she liked me a little while ago, then Mari came back… why does she even think we're dating… I just wish I could do something to help.'

Shinji heard the crying had stopped, and also heard Mari slip into her room, leaving Shinji free to go out into the apartment and not just hide in his room.

Shinji went out to the kitchen to clean up, something he hadn't finished as he just didn't feel up to it. He heard the door open again while he was cleaning, and saw Kaji half carrying and half dragging Misato.

"What happened?" Shinji asked.

"She got really drunk, Shinji." Kaji said. "I'm sorry."

"She's an adult." Shinji replied. "It's not your fault."

"Well, at least someone understands." Kaji said. "What's up with you, kiddo? You seem down."

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about it." Shinji said. "And it's really complicated."

"Well, maybe I'll take you out to lunch and we can talk." Kaji said.

Shinji smiled. "Yeah, that sounds… nice."

"Now, Shinji…" Kaji said. "Please, take care of Misato, ok?"

"Sure thing." Shinji replied. "Goodnight, Kaji."

"Night, Shinji." Kaji said as Shinji saw him out.

* * *

April 27, 2016 – Undisclosed Location

The twelve black monoliths reactivated for the first time in months. The one labeled 'SEELE 01' spoke first.

"I have called this meeting to discuss Ikari." 'SEELE 01' stated. "His actions at seemingly cucking the plan are causing increasing issues with our timetables. Instrumentality has been heavily delayed because of him, as have or other plans related to the Evangelions."

"He must be stopped." 'SEELE 06' said loudly.

"Before he overthrows our plans entirely!" 'SEELE 11' shouted.

"The problem is, he is well insulated from us and any of our usual forms of retaliation." 'SEELE 03' said. "We cannot simply assassinate him like we would anyone else."

"He is protected." 'SEELE 05' added.

"We have an agent!" 'SEELE 07' pointed out. "That Kaji, what's he good for?"

"He is a spy, not an assassin." 'SEELE 05' replied.

"We need information on Ikari's goings on." 'SEELE 02' said. "So Kaji is more valuable to us as a spy and nothing more."

"So then, how do suggest we destabilize NERV?" 'SEELE 09' asked.

"And why have the Angels not caused more damage to the city?" 'SEELE 07' inquired. "They are powerful beings with an unlimited source of energy."

"Sachiel and Sahaquiel were stopped before any major harm was done." 'SEELE 02' explained. "Ramiel did a wonderful amount of damage to Tokyo–3, but was stopped by Ikari's brat of a child. Gaghiel should have defeated that puffed up redhead, but Ikari's brat was there as well."

"Somehow they were able to work together to stop Israfel, and the boy risked his life to save her from Sandalphon." 'SEELE 04' added. "All four Evangelions were used against Matarael and Sahaquiel, leaving them little hope of survival."

"So, how do we stop him?!" 'SEELE 12' demanded. "How do we keep Ikari from taking away everything we've worked so hard for?!"

"The next Angels should be difficult for them to stop." 'SEELE 02' said.

"Yes… Ireul… Leliel… and Bardiel…" 'SEELE 01' said menacingly. "They will be most difficult to neutralize… if all goes well, Ireul will be able to destroy those pesky Evangelions in Tokyo–3, and take Ikari, Katsuragi, and those bratty pilots with them."

"What if they fail?" 'SEELE 08' asked. "What if we can't stop them with the 11th, 12, and 13th Angels? What then?"

"We deploy our final options until we reach our goal." 'SEELE 04' replied.

"Zeruel… Arael… and Armisael… and our final option… Tabris…" 'SEELE 03' added. "Those will only be used if necessary."

"Those Angels are excessively strong!" 'SEELE 10' said. "We cannot use them without risking everything!"

"The more Angels that are annihilated, the more desperate things become." 'SEELE 02' replied. "We need to be prepared to use that option."

"We will revisit the matter if it comes to it." 'SEELE 01' said. "We need to have hope and faith in the Dead Sea Scrolls and their prophecy of instrumentality."

"Yes, otherwise this entire exercise was for naught." 'SEELE 05' added.

"Well, what about our other plans… like the newer Evangelions?" 'SEELE 09' asked.

"They are progressing on schedule." 'SEELE 06' replied. "They have been separated for construction and will be brought someone when completed for final fitting out."

"With the Dummy Plugs?" 'SEELE 11' asked.

"Yes, they will not have a free thinking pilot." 'SEELE 03' responded. "We know that causes… unforeseen consequences from Unit–01's own pilot."

"So they will be under our total control?" 'SEELE 08' asked.

"Yes, they will be under our direct control to initiate instrumentality and make us the gods of men." 'SEELE 01' said. "Now, I do have a question, have the special parts for the simulation tank been sent?"

"Yes, they should arrive in a few days, and then be installed shortly thereafter." 'SEELE 03' replied. "They won't know what hit them."

"That is the intention. It is time for us to strike back and end this before Ikari can end us and our machinations!" 'SEELE 01' said angrily.

"Yes, we must stop him!" 'SEELE 06' said exuberantly.

"We must succeed!" 'SEELE 11' shouted.

"We will succeed!" 'SEELE 09' quipped.

"Enough!" 'SEELE 01' said. "Now, unless there is anything else, let's see how these next few Angels play out before meeting again." 'SEELE 01' asked. "Well, seeing as no one responded… meeting adjourned."

And with that the twelve monoliths went dormant once more, with the hopes that they would not be in crisis the next time they met, but in celebration of Gendo's demise.

–––

Gendo had just returned from the Antarctic expedition. Fuyutsuki was overseeing the transport of the spear from the Enterprise, while Gendo was going to arrange a way to get the spear down in to Terminal Dogma.

As Gendo was walking into his office, Ritsuko intercepted him before he could get time to relax and think.

"Commander, may I have a word?" Ritsuko asked.

"Of course, I needed to ask you something anyway." Gendo said.

The two of them entered Gendo's office, with Gendo taking his seat and Ritsuko sitting in a chair across from him.

"Dr. Akagi, is Unit–00 in a condition to go into Terminal Dogma?" Gendo asked.

"Your trip was successful wasn't it?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes, we have recovered the Spear of Longinus from the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean." Gendo explained. "We need to place the spear into Lilith for safekeeping."

"So you want to send Unit–00 down there with Rei?" Ritsuko asked.

"Precisely." Gendo said. "She is the only one that knows of Lilith, she is the only one who can do it without further exposing our purpose."

"It can be prepped and ready in a few hours." Ritsuko replied.

"Excellent." Gendo said. "Now unless there is anything else you wish to discuss, I wish to relax before Rei goes to Terminal Dogma."

"Well there isn't anything I want to discuss…" Ritsuko said. "But I can certainly help you relax, Gendo."

Gendo raised his eyebrows and said nothing. 'Funny how she's so frigid to everyone except me.' Gendo thought. 'Soon, all my uses for her will be gone, once I have Yui back…'

–––

Unit–00 was lowered down into a dark pit. It was carrying a long, twisted red bident in its right and holding onto the long steel wore with the other. Its left foot was resting on a simple metal plate attached to the wire.

As Unit–00 reached the ground of the dark chamber several lights came online, guiding the Evangelion and its long cargo to its destination. Situated on the far side of the chamber, in the middle of a massive pool of LCL and attached to a large, red, metallic cross was Lilith.

There was a mask covering her face, which was eerily similar to Sachiel's bone mask. Lilith also bore the marks of where Unit–01 was grown from her, in the form of missing everything below her waist, where instead small, human sized legs and arms stick out and twitched as if they were alive. Her hands were secured to the cross by a massive bolt through each hand.

Unit–00 walked up to Lilith and poised the spear to shove it into Lilith's chest.

Rei looked up at the beast on her display monitors from inside the Entry Plug. 'I know I am a part of you, and I regret this action… but it must be done.' Rei thought. 'I am sorry.'

Unit–00 shoved the spear into Lilith's chest were the human heart would be and Lilith strained her arms against the bolt in her hands and looked as though she was crying out in agony. Rei could feel a pain in her own chest and screamed as well.

" _Rei, is something the matter?_ " Gendo inquired.

"Yes, Commander." Rei replied. "I felt it enter my chest, like I stabbed myself."

" _I did not expect that to occur._ " Gendo said. " _I apologize for not anticipating that. Please return to the Cage immediately and Dr. Akagi will give you a thorough examination._ "

"Yes, sir…" Rei replied as Unit–00 staggered away from Lilith, wading through the LCL to the awaiting steel cable.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 83.6% (+0.1%)  
Asuka – 73.9% (+1.3%)  
Mari – 73.8% (+1.4%)  
Rei – 70.2% (+2.7%)

Well, that was a fun chapter to write. Based mostly on Episode 15 of the anime, with some alterations of course. Shinji visited his mother's grave in Episode IV, and Kaji and Misato will not view Lilith until later on in this Episode. But the basic premise is the same, this chapter has no Angels, and features a key scene in the Asuka/Shinji relationship, their first kiss and the aftermath, which of course, I changed to suit the story. Boy, Asuka gets jealous pretty quick.

Asuka's reaction and complete change from her kissing Shinji passionately was mainly due to the jealously she has for Mari and Shinji's open, friendly, and affectionate relationship, something she tries to get, but just can't seem to get quite right, which adds to her frustrations of being unable to express her feelings properly.

So, there is a reason Toji's favorite Sailor Senshi is Sailor Saturn. She is diminutive and kind, but has a lot of power can truly handle herself, similar to Hikari. So… that's his kind of girl, basically Hikari. Isn't using other anime to make a point fun?

Now, Mari is a smart girl (Smarter than Ritsuko and on par with Yui and Kyoko), so her starting to question Rei's existence is only natural, the scientist in her will want answers, even if the answer is what she doesn't want, that crush isn't going away any time soon.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	3. Battle Routine Set… Execute!; Ireul Invades

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 3 – Battle Routine Set… Execute!; Ireul Invades  
April 30, 2016 – NERV HQ

A delivery of new cleanroom protein plates were being delivered, and Ritsuko was inspecting each one with Maya's assistance.

"Ma'am, why are we inspecting each one of these?" Maya asked.

"Well, it's mainly to make sure we don't ruin the cleanroom's integrity." Ritsuko explained. "Especially with the next test with the simulation bodies coming up soon, I'd rather be safe than sorry. So, we'll scan each plate with the UV scanner and then move on, we only have a few left to do."

"Will they have to wear those test plugsuits again?" Maya asked.

"No, this time they won't be wearing anything." Ritsuko said. "I'd like data of them without the aid of the plugsuits at all."

"Isn't that a little mean?" Maya asked.

"No, Maya, it's for science." Ritsuko replied. "I know Asuka and Mari will baulk, and Shinji will groan, but at least Rei will be good and not question the validity of the idea." Ritsuko smirked. 'Ahhh, Maya, such the little innocent girl… life will be so disappointing once you realize that I don't like you at all…'

"Does Major Katsuragi know?" Maya asked.

"No, if she knows, she'll tell them, then the test will be blown off." Ritsuko said. "We can't have that, especially seeing as we're running a check on the MAGI the day before. It has to be done as soon as possible." Ritsuko smiled again. 'That and I want to hear the shock and anger from those two whores when they realize that they have to be naked in front of Shinji.' Ritsuko thought savagely. 'This will teach them to complain about the test plugsuits the way they did. I'll show that whore Asuka who's the boss… and Mari too… they're both such vile girls, having opinions and standing up to my authority… they remind of Misato when she dated Kaji… and Misato was whore then too, and still is in my eyes…'

"Yes, ma'am!" Maya said. "But where are these being installed?"

"These 37 plates are going to be installed in the 87th Protein Wall adjacent to the Pribnow Box." Ritsuko explained. "That's why these are so important to check."

"Well, I scanned all the ones in my stack, ma'am." Maya said happily. "All clear."

"And I've finished mine." Ritsuko said. "No abnormalities were found, these are cleared for installation."

"So, what should we do now?" Maya asked.

"Well, we should run diagnostics on the EVAs, just to be sure they're in battle condition." Ritsuko ordered.

"Which one first, ma'am?" Maya asked.

"Unit–01 of course." Ritsuko said. "The Commander's standing orders are that all resources are to be directed at Unit–01 first."

"Right away, ma'am!" Maya said "Then I'll do Unit–XP, Unit–02, and Unit–00"

"Fair enough." Ritsuko said. "I have some paperwork to do, so I'll leave you to it." Ritsuko grimaced. 'And I want to get away from your incessant prattling.' Ritsuko thought.

"Understood." Maya replied.

As the two of them walked off, the plate on the top had a small hexagonal orange field erupt around it, and then a small red dot began to glow almost imperceptibly to the human eye. It had been activated by a chemical reaction of the powerful UV rays from the scanner.

The little red dot blinked faintly and began to start assimilating the materials around it, slowly growing from the size of a single cell to four within no time at all. As the plate was carried to the installation area, the four cells burrowed into the plate as it was lowered into the sterile heavy water to protect itself from being injured.

Ireul was online, and it was learning…

–––

Misato was walking towards Gendo's office, unsure as to why she had been called there of all places.

'I wonder what he wants…' Misato thought. 'He never calls people to his office… ever.'

Misato reached his office door and knocked.

"Enter." Came the voice from within.

Misato did as she was told and went inside to see Gendo at his desk, and Fuyutsuki standing beside him. "You wanted to see me, Commander?" Misato asked.

"Good afternoon, Major Katsuragi." Gendo said. "Yes, I called you in here to discuss an important matter."

"You are not in trouble, Major." Fuyutsuki said calmly.

"I didn't think I was, sir." Misato replied. "But I am confused as to why you called me here, Commander."

"Well, it has to do with the Tenth Angel." Gendo said, covering his mouth with his hands. "In order to congratulate you on your unorthodox, but highly effective plan, I would like to promote you to Lieutenant Colonel, effective immediately."

"What…" Misato said.

"You're being promoted, Major…" Fuyutsuki said. "Or should I say Lieutenant Colonel."

"Thank you, Commander, Sub–Commander." Misato said. "I knew the plan worked, but I caused so much damage with it, I mean, I took three EVAs out of commission, so do I really deserve it with that much of benefit."

"You only caused damage to what is designed to take this damage, Colonel." Gendo said. "The Evangelions are designed to withstand much more damage than Tokyo–3 could ever hope to take."

"The cost of repairing the Evangelions is inconsequential to the lives you saved with that stunt." Fuyutsuki added. "We can't put a price on human life, and this promotion is a way to show our gratitude."

"There is also more, Colonel." Gendo explained. "In addition to the promotion, I am placing you third in the chain of command. This is to avoid any conflict with anyone else taking control of a situation."

"Why would you give me command?" Misato asked.

"You have shown yourself to be a capable commander in times of crisis, and seeing as we both leave the base on a regular basis, we want someone who can firmly take command in the event we are both gone when an Angel attacks." Fuyutsuki explained.

"Colonel, we have known you for a very long time." Gendo said. "I believe I can say I trust you with the fate of NERV is we are unavailable. You, Fuyutsuki, and I have the same goals, to stop the Angels and prevent a Third Impact."

"Yes, sir, I am aware of that." Misato said. "I've known you both for a very long time."

"You have grown very much from the mute girl who survived Second Impact." Fuyutsuki said.

"Sub–Commander, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for what you had told me on that research ship." Misato said.

"What was that?" Fuyutsuki said. "I remember telling you lots of things in order to try and get you to talk. That and it's been a long time since that day."

"That I couldn't run away anymore." Misato said. "Now I'm facing my greatest enemy and I will destroy the Angels, even if it's the death of me!"

"Ahhh… that's it." Fuyutsuki said.

"Well said, Colonel." Gendo said. "Now, unless you have anything else you'd like to say, I assume you accept the promotion and its new privileges?"

"Yes, Commander I do." Misato said. "But I'd like to request promotions for Second Lieutenant Maya Ibuki, Second Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga, and Second Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba for their outstanding service thus far under my command, sir."

"That can be arranged." Gendo replied. "As I recall from your report, they refused to leave you alone to face the Tenth Angel. That sort of loyalty and bravery should be commended."

"What about Dr. Akagi, sir?" Misato asked.

"Well, she already has everything she desires." Gendo replied. "Is there anything else?"

"No, sir, that's all." Misato replied.

"Then you are dismissed, Colonel." Gendo said.

"A new security card and rank insignia will be issued to you in the next day or so." Fuyutsuki said.

"Understood Sub–Commander." Misato replied as she began to leave.

"One more thing, Colonel." Gendo said.

"Yes, Commander?" Misato asked as she turned around.

"Keep up the good work." Gendo said.

"I will sir, thank you." Misato said as she turned and left. When she got outside the office and the door closed behind her, she breathed deeply. "Fuck… that was an odd meeting…" Misato mumbled to herself while she went to find the bridge bunnies to tell them the good news of their promotions.

* * *

May 1, 2016 – Outside Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji was walking home with Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke in tow. They had stayed behind to clean the classroom while Asuka and Mari went home, and Rei went to NERV for some more tests.

"Hey, Shinji, why are we walking so slow?" Toji asked.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Dude, you're walking at a snail's pace." Toji said. "Something bugging you?"

"No, I'm just tired." Shinji said. "Didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Nothing some Nyquil can't fix, or at least I hope it can fix it."

"Shinji, using that will only get you dependent on it for sleep!" Hikari said excitedly. "Why don't I make you some tea, and get you to bed."

"Hikari, you don't have to…" Shinji said.

"Well I'm going to!" Hikari said. "As helpful as Asuka and Mari can be, after that time they tried to cook for you, you'll be better off if I do it. So the second we get there, I'm putting you in bed."

"Kinda forceful today, eh Hikari?" Toji asked.

"No, I just don't want him to get sick!" Hikari said. "Those three would be lost without him, and what happens if an Angel attacks?"

"I supposed Mari or Asuka or Rei could handle it." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, but Shinji is the best!" Hikari said. "He's been out there more than any of them! As much as Asuka brags, she knows Shinji's a better pilot."

"I didn't think her ego would allow that kind of thinking…" Toji muttered.

"Well, she just can't admit it to herself." Hikari said sullenly. "And it seems to be messing with her lately, she's just not herself."

"Well, according to the files I swiped from my dad, Shinji has the highest sync score of the four of them." Kensuke said.

"Kensuke I told you to not do that anymore, you're going to get into trouble." Shinji said.

"Ah, who cares, I'm not looking at anything classified." Kensuke said. "My dad doesn't have that kind of access."

"Still, Shinji the best ranked pilot!" Toji said. "That deserves a pat on the back!"

"Wow, and I was only going off what Asuka's mentioned, but you really are…" Hikari said. "That's impressive Shinji."

"Thanks…" Shinji said. "But it's not like I enjoy this, or being the best. I know it bothers Asuka too, and she works so hard for her score… I just wish I could help her."

"Shinji, you can't fix everything." Hikari said.

"Yeah, there's no talking to the redheaded devil, is there?" Toji asked.

"Toji!" Hikari shouted.

"Well, when she's like this, I don't like her so much." Toji said. "I don't like seeing Ikari here look all sad."

"I get your point, but it's not nice to call her names…" Hikari said.

"Hey, I know she's your best friend and all, but she's being mean again." Toji said.

"Yeah, she's a lot angrier than usual, especially towards Mari." Kensuke said. "I wonder why? I mean they were getting along fine a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, Shinji, they fighting again or something?" Toji asked.

"I don't know why…" Shinji said. "But I liked it more when we were all getting along."

"Hey, they'll be fine, stop worrying so much, pal." Toji said. "You just need to think positive. I'm sure it's just some stupid thing Mari said to piss Asuka off."

Shinji looked at Toji and wanted to tell him, but couldn't, so he sighed. "Yeah, probably something like that…"

Hikari looked at him knowingly. "Are you losing sleep over them arguing?"

"No, I just like it more when we all get along." Shinji explained. "Especially considering they share a room…"

The four of them walked up to the apartment to find Mari sitting alone in the kitchen, and Shinji could see that Asuka was in her room, alone.

"Everything alright?" Shinji asked.

"No puppy it isn't." Mari replied. "She's mad about something… but typical princess, won't say what it is so that we can fix the problem…"

"Well, that's just how she is…" Shinji said. "I'm sure it'll get better on its own."

"I doubt it." Mari said.

"I'll be right back." Hikari said. "Shinji, go change for bed, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." Shinji joked.

"You two, head to the hospital, you should have gone there first." Hikari said.

"Yeah, right…" Kensuke said.

"Sakura will understand that I was concerned about Shinji." Toji said.

"I'll see you guys there in a little while." Hikari said.

"I know, you're tucking Shinji in." Toji said as he started to leave. "Later glasses."

"Bye, Mari." Kensuke said as he followed Toji.

"Later jock." Mari replied. "Later pervy."

Hikari rolled her eyes and went to Asuka's room and knocked on the door. "Asuka, can I come in?" Hikari asked.

"Sure…" Asuka said unenthusiastically.

Hikari walked in to see Asuka laying on her bed reading a manga. She didn't look up or otherwise acknowledge Hikari's presence in the room.

"Hey, what's up with you?" Hikari asked. "You've been avoiding us for a while, every time I try to talk to you, you disappear. Did something happen between you and Mari?"

"No…" Asuka said.

"Something must have happened." Hikari said. "You wouldn't be so angry all the time if it didn't. You're not even trying to nice anymore. You're just ignoring everyone!"

"Nothing happened Hikari, just leave it alone." Asuka said.

"Asuka, I can't help you if you won't talk about it." Hikari said. "You know Shinji hasn't been sleeping because the two of you are fighting again."

"Who cares about that idiot?" Asuka said snidely. "He doesn't like me anyway. He prefers her…" Asuka looked angrily at Hikari. "Who would want me when they can have that?"

"Asuka…" Hikari said. "You like him don't you?"

"Why would I like that idiot?" Asuka said. "He's such a bitch half the time, always apologizing and acting so meek…"

"Asuka!" Hikari said angrily. "Don't say that about him!"

"Why not, it's true!" Asuka said. "He just apologizes, and then goes and cuddles her, and kisses her… and I'm all alone!"

Hikari sat on the bed and hugged Asuka tightly. "Asuka, its ok to have feelings for him, I won't tell anyone." Hikari whispered in Asuka's ear. "I promise, you can tell me…"

Asuka, instead of shouting at or hitting Hikari as her usual defense dictated, Asuka broke down in tears and cried into Hikari's shoulder. "I just want him to like me…" Asuka cried. "I just want to be with him, but he's always with her… he loves her not me! I don't like losing… I just want him to hold me…"

"Asuka, just tell me what happened." Hikari said.

"When Mari was at the mall with Rei… I found out Shinji kissed her, and then I goaded him into kissing me…" Asuka sobbed. "It was really nice too… I felt all tingly and everything, and then she came home and interrupted it… like a fucking bitch!"

"Asuka, I'm sure she didn't mean to!" Hikari said. "Cut her some slack, will you?"

"Why are you taking her side?" Asuka asked angrily.

"I'm not taking her side, Asuka." Hikari said angrily. "I'm trying to help you by just pointing out that you need to think rationally! You need to understand and get through your head that Mari and Shinji are just friends, and that they will never be more than that! Come on, Asuka, you need to get a clue!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, it means you need to stop sulking and find out if he likes you!" Hikari said. "He'll never like you if you're not friendly with his best friend!"

"She's his… best friend?" Asuka asked. "I thought that it was Toji and you."

"No, she's his best friend, he's always making sure she stays out of trouble and doesn't tease you too much. They know a lot about each other, I'm just his good friend, which is fine, it's not a competition." Hikari said.

"Isn't it?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, everything isn't a competition." Hikari said. "Just try to be nicer, maybe apologize for being such a pain in the ass lately. It'll probably fix things up pretty well, then maybe you can ask him out."

"I'm not asking him out, that's the man's job!" Asuka exclaimed. "Do I _have_ a penis?!"

"Asuka, for someone so intelligent, you're extremely rigid when it comes to gender roles." Hikari said. "Unless it gets you out of having to cook and clean that is…"

"Hey!" Asuka said. "I'm open about that stuff…"

"Really, _it's the man's job to ask you out_?" Hikari asked. "Come on Asuka, grow up. If you want him so bad, just ask him out yourself."

"But… I…" Asuka stammered.

"Stop, Asuka." Hikari said. "I know you have trouble with your feelings, but maybe if you just act nice more consistently, Shinji will catch on. He's not as stupid as you always claim he is you know."

"Yeah, well… he is sometimes…" Asuka said. "But do you really think after all the stuff I've done to him that he'll actually want to be with me?"

Hikari stared at Asuka for a moment. 'Well, I can't tell her about how Shinji feels… I don't want to interfere that much, but…' Hikari thought as she smiled. "I'd guarantee that given the chance, Shinji will love you forever!" Hikari said happily.

"I'd like to believe you…" Asuka said.

"Look, Shinji is a great person, just give it time." Hikari said. "Now will you come out to the kitchen with me and act civil?"

"No." Asuka said. "I'm not really ready to go out and apologize quite yet…"

"Can you at least let Mari in the room?" Hikari asked. "You know, and actually talk to her?"

"I'll consider it." Asuka said. "Maybe just a hello at least…"

"God, you're difficult at times." Hikari said.

"I know, it's part of my feminine mystique." Asuka joked.

"Well, I'm going to go tuck Shinji into bed, he needs the sleep desperately." Hikari said. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait, Hikari." Asuka said.

"Yeah?" Hikari asked as she paused at the door.

"Just make sure he sleeps." Asuka said. "I don't want anything to happen to him… I… uh… care about him…"

"I'll make him sleep, Asuka." Hikari said. "Just relax, and I'll take care of him for you."

–––

In Central Dogma, things were progressing steadily. Misato was extremely bored while she watched the bridge bunnies assist Ritsuko with the MAGI checkup. It had been 18 hours thus far, and Misato wanted it over with, but it was simply dragging on.

"Are we done yet?" Misato asked. "I don't like the MAGI being down for this long."

"It will take as long as it will take." Ritsuko said. "I'm not hurrying this along because an Angel may attack. We need the MAGI at full capacity for when an Angel attacks to give us the best interpretation of the data as possible."

"The sensors that detect the Angels are down though, so there could be one nearby and we wouldn't even know it." Hyuga said.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Ritsuko said. "I think we're nearly done."

"Yes, ma'am, we are." Maya replied. "Dealing with the final nodes now, scanning and analyzation protocol A6 enacted."

"You're getting pretty fast then, Maya, if you're there already." Ritsuko said.

"Did I have any choice with you as my boss?" Maya asked.

'No, you really didn't.' Ritsuko thought. "Oh, wait a second, A8 might make this go a bit faster, let me." Ritsuko said as she reached in front of Maya and tapped the keyboard rapidly with one hand.

"Wow, you're the master Dr. Akagi." Maya said captivatingly.

"I know." Ritsuko replied.

"Final nodes show as complete, no bad sectors detected in any of the MAGI." Hyuga reported. "The only thing of note is the continued use of more memory space than originally anticipated, with differing levels of highs and lows coming from each MAGI."

"Which one is the most erratic?" Ritsuko asked.

"Casper, ma'am." Hyuga replied "It has the most variations from normal operations. Twice as many as Melchior and Balthasar combined."

"I'll have to look into that." Ritsuko said. "Send me the data, and I'll review it like all the rest."

"Right away, ma'am." Hyuga replied.

"Confirming 127th Level–1 diagnostic complete." Aoba reported. "All three MAGI had over 600PB of data fragments and temporary files scrubbed from the system, archived files have been defragmented and stored appropriately, drive I/O up to 97% optimum level, all firmware and software updates completed successfully."

"Switch to Level–5 diagnostic mode." Ritsuko said.

"Switching to Level–5, real–time self–diagnostic mode, MAGI coming back online." Aoba reported. "Interlinks reestablished, MAGI are functioning normally."

"Good job everyone." Ritsuko said.

"So, anything wrong with them?" Misato asked.

"No, that data increase is simply the MAGI using more space to think I believe." Ritsuko said.

"Boy, I'm glad you built these things, otherwise we'd have no idea what's wrong." Misato replied.

"Misato, did you forget?" Ritsuko asked. "My mother built these machines. They were her life's work. I just maintain them as my mother's legacy."

"Well, still you must be at least as smart as her to do such a good job at it." Misato said.

"Some people would disagree with you." Ritsuko said as she left the room.

Misato made to follow her, but was stopped by Hyuga. "Hey, Colonel wait a minute."

"What is it Hyuga?" Misato asked as she walked over.

"We all wanted to thank you for putting us in for promotions ma'am." Hyuga said.

"Yeah, it was nice of you to that when you got yourself promoted, Colonel." Aoba said happily. "And the pay increase ain't so bad either."

"And I get to have even more responsibilities now thanks to you." Maya said.

"Well, you guys stayed with me despite orders to get out and head for the hills, so you deserve them." Misato said happily. "I'm just glad you're all pleased."

–––

Ritsuko looked into a mirror in the bathroom.

"So, mother, your mind has checked out once again." Ritsuko said. "But why are you thinking so much? You can't have anything on your mind, the MAGI are only an imprint of the original… that kind of constant activity I just unprecedented…"

Ritsuko sighed. "But what can I do, you're in good shape otherwise."

Ritsuko looked at herself in the mirror. "I just wish I were able to be sealed away somewhere and left to solve problems all the time… I wouldn't have to worry about aging so much if I were like you…"

–––

Hikari walked into Shinji's room holding a cup of tea. Shinji was sitting in bed, and was waiting patiently for her.

"Here Shinji." Hikari said handing him the tea. "Drink up."

Shinji took the tea silently and drank it in one long sip and then handed the cup back to Hikari. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome." Hikari said.

"So, did you get anywhere with Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, I did." Hikari said. "I also found out why you're not sleeping so well…"

"She told you then…" Shinji said.

"Of course she did, once I poked her ego a bit." Hikari said. "Why didn't you tell me you two kissed, and why didn't Mari?"

"I was afraid to… it went so horribly when Mari got there, but it was nice before that, I was all tingly and everything." Shinji said. "I was… embarrassed…"

"Shinji, why were you embarrassed?" Hikari said. "She must like you if she kissed you, right?"

"I'm not sure, she got so mad after Mai showed up and ran off to her room… I tried to talk to her, but she just slammed the door in my face… and I heard her cry…" Shinji teared up as he spoke. "She must hate me now… and Mari too, that's why she's not talking to me anymore. She hates me and it's all my fault!"

"Shinji, it's not your fault." Hikari said consolingly. "You just need to give her time. Asuka's not good with feelings, so if she likes you, it'll have to be on her own terms, it can't be forced. You should know that."

"I know, I just don't like when she doesn't talk to me…" Shinji said sadly.

"Hey, just cheer up, Shinji." Hikari said. "Asuka said she'll try and be nicer tomorrow, and she's not mad at you, just at Mari."

"Then why isn't she talking to me?" Shinji asked.

"Pride." Hikari said. "She doesn't like seeming weak in front of others, it pisses her off."

"Figures…" Shinji muttered. "I just wish she'd let me help."

"Shinji the best thing right now for you is to keep your distance till she talks to you again." Hikari said. "But more importantly, it's time for you to sleep."

"But…" Shinji said as he started to feel groggy. "What was in that tea?"

"Oh, it's just a special blend I have that helps put people to sleep." Hikari said. "All natural botanical sleep aids, much better than Nyquil."

"Oh…" Shinji said as he nodded off and slumped down on his pillow.

"Awww, poor thing… I didn't think it would work that fast… he must be really tired…" Hikari said quietly as she moved forward to help him. She adjusted him so he was actually laying down properly and not slumped over, and then covered him up with his sheet. Hikari then kissed him lightly on the forehead. "She loves you dummy, just be patient." Hikari whispered as Shinji snored quietly.

Hikari then left and saw Asuka's door was still closed, and went out to the kitchen where Mari was still sitting alone.

"So, freckles, what took so long?" Mari asked.

"Well, I found out what happened this time." Hikari said.

"Yeah, shocker." Mari said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hikari asked. "We're supposed to be both be helping to get those two morons together."

"I know, but Asuka was being super bitchy, and I thought it would blow over sooner." Mari said. "Clearly it didn't."

"Yeah, obviously." Hikari said. "But you can to your room finally in a little while."

"Oh, you convinced her I'm not Satan?" Mari asked.

"Well, I told her if she wants to date Shinji, she has to be nice to his best friend." Hikari replied. "That's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah it's true, she would have to be nice to me…" Mari trailed off. "Wait, she finally admitted she likes him?!"

"Yeah, in tears. She was angry cause you interrupted them like you ruin everything." Hikari said quietly.

"It's not my fault…" Mari said. "I watched them for a good minute before I had the will to speak again… I thought it would be best not to mention how long I had been watching."

"Yeah, good call, Mari." Hikari said. "And you know what else is weird, they both said they felt tingly when they kissed. That must be love, right?"

"It is." Mari replied.

"So, then how do we get them together?" Hikari asked.

"Well, neither one knows they like the other, but desperately want the other to like them." Mari postulated. "So, we'll use the tried and true method of subterfuge."

"We're going to tick them?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, start off with scheduling them to clean together a few times." Mari said. "Then I'll suggest to Asuka she plan a party for Shinji's birthday, I can go hang out somewhere else to give them time alone, and not come back for the night or something…"

"So you're going to trick them by making it seem like their alone together a lot?" Hikari asked. "Isn't that mean spirited?"

"No, we're going to trick them, freckles." Mari said. "And it's not mean spirited because it's for the right reasons."

"If you say so…" Hikari said as she looked at the clock in the kitchen. "But it's late, so I need to get home."

"Well, then we'll start when things calm down." Mari said. "And I'll mention the party to her sometime in the next few weeks."

"Ok, I'll set them up for cleaning duty together a few times in the next month." Hikari said. "Maybe this plan of yours will work."

"I'm sure it will, but those two just need to be less dense about each other." Mari said.

"Yeah, you're not kidding." Hikari said as she got up. "Goodnight, Mari."

"Night freckles." Mari replied. "See you tomorrow."

–––

Gendo was sitting calmly in his office as Fuyutsuki arrived with his daily report.

"Ah, Fuyutsuki, what news?" Gendo asked.

"Well, the MAGI are back online, with nothing to report." Fuyutsuki said.

"What about the data usage anomalies?" Gendo asked.

"From what Akagi tells me she believes that the MAGI are simply thinking more to solve issues, and wants to move to a bi–monthly diagnostic." Fuyutsuki explained. "I said I'd have to run the idea by you."

"Well, I see no problem with it." Gendo said. "Do you think she'll ever figure out that her mother's soul is inhabiting that machine?"

"I doubt it. Akagi is too wrapped up in herself to notice things like that and writes it off as a statistical anomaly." Fuyutsuki said. "I just hope that woman is suffering in there."

"Naoko is suffering, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "She has to deal with the fact she killed Rei every day, and then look at her every time someone brings up her file. Then of course, she knows by now that her daughter and I daughter are still seeing each other. I'm sure she's filled with regret, the old hag that she is."

"I hope you're right." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Fuyutsuki, I'm always right." Gendo replied smugly. "How do you think I stay three steps ahead of SEELE and their diluted plans?"

* * *

May 4, 2016 – NERV HQ

The four pilots were in simple hospital gowns as they were going through an extensive cleaning process for using the simulation bodies this time around. Each pilot was slightly red from all the scrubbing and high pressure water rinse they had received. When they got to the final cycle each one was told to take off the gown and deposit it. When they arrived out in the final area before the doors to their Entry Plugs, they had small rigid plastic privacy screens in front of them, but could see everyone else's bare shoulders. Asuka was on the left with Shinji to her right, Mari to his right, and Rei to Mari's right. They all looked at each other in a puzzled fashion until Ritsuko came over the speakers.

" _The cleaning process has been completed, please head to the Entry Plugs now._ " Ritsuko said over the loud speaker. " _There will be no need for a plugsuit._ "

"Understood, Dr. Akagi." Rei said.

"Really?" Shinji looked to both sides and saw both girls were pissed. "Oh boy…"

"The hell we are, we're naked!" Asuka shouted.

" _I do not care your opinions._ " Ritsuko said. " _After the last test in the simulation bodies, the data pointed to needing a purer sample._ "

"A purer sample of what?" Mari asked. "Our _sweat_?"

" _A purer synchrograph sample direct from our bodies without the interference of a plugsuit._ " Ritsuko explained. " _Your sensibilities about this are not my concern._ "

"This is so embarrassing…" Shinji said.

"They fucking well should be!" Asuka shouted. "I'm not walking in front of everyone naked!"

"Yeah, the fuck is your problem?!" Mari shouted. "You too much of a pussy to tell us in person before we went through the fucking wash cycle, so you wait to tell us so we can't walk away?"

" _I did not see it as relevant._ " Ritsuko said. " _This is an order, comply._ "

"Fuck you!" Asuka shouted. "You never consider people's feelings about anything because you're a rigid bitch!"

" _One more word out of you and I will pull your authorization to pilot._ " Ritsuko warned.

"You can take that threat and shove it up your tight wad ass." Asuka said angrily. "I'm not walking out in front of people!"

"Yeah, this is revenge for us complaining about those whorish looking things you made us wear the last time." Mari said. "You're some kind of twisted sadist!"

" _Alright, I've had enough of this. You're not pulling anyone's authorization to pilot, Ritsuko._ " Misato said. " _I wasn't informed of this ahead of time, and it's not like there wasn't plenty of time to warn them._ "

" _It was not a matter I considered relevant._ " Ritsuko said coolly. " _The test has to be done this way, and no amount not of complaining is going to change it._ "

"Bullshit!" Asuka shouted. "I'm not doing this naked!"

"Yeah, neither am I!" Mari shouted. "I have standards you know I'm not someone who goes around showing off!"

Shinji shook his head. "Guys, I'm cold… can we just do the test…"

"No, I don't want you to peek!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, I'm not going to peek…" Shinji said.

" _Kids, this isn't up for debate…_ " Misato started.

" _Comply with the orders!_ " Ritsuko said angrily.

However, Fuyutsuki interrupted them both. " _Enough, Dr. Akagi._ "

" _Sir?_ " Ritsuko asked.

" _This was extremely unprofessional on your part doctor._ " Fuyutsuki said angrily. " _Perhaps if Dr. Akagi had informed Colonel Katsuragi ahead of time this outburst could have been avoided. The Commander will not authorize a pilot's revoking of flight status over a squabble like this. It does seem rather deliberate if I may so._ " Fuyutsuki said sternly. " _However the fact remains this test must be completed. Ms. Soryu, Ms. Makinami, I have checked that the video monitors are off, you will be afforded every privacy, and I assure you this sort of secrecy won't be occurring again. We will give you some time to decide how you all get to your Entry Plugs._ "

"Thank you, Sub–Commander." Mari said.

"Yes, thank you for having some common decency…" Asuka said angrily. "Unlike some people…"

"Thank you, sir." Shinji said.

" _Contact us when you are in position in your Entry Plugs, and the test will commence._ " Fuyutsuki said.

"Understood, Sub–Commander." Rei replied.

"So, how are we doing this?" Mari asked. "I don't really care how."

"I'm going last." Asuka said. "I don't want the male to see me all exposed like this."

"Asuka, I'm not going to look!" Shinji exclaimed. "I'm not like that!"

"It does not matter to me, you all have seen me without clothes, as I have seen all of you." Rei said. "I will go first."

"Hold on… all of us?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Yes, you have all seen me nude before, and I have seen you all in the same state of undress." Rei repeated. "It does not phase me to be seen without clothes."

"Good to know blueberry." Mari joked.

"Baka!" Asuka shouted. "You've seen her naked?!"

"What…" Shinji exclaimed. "Asuka… it's not… not like… it was an accident… I was… her card… she came out of the… hospital… it was an accident… I didn't know… I'm sorry… it was an accident…"

Mari looked at Asuka. 'Well, maybe a bit of jealously will give her some imitative to ask him out…' Mari thought. "Jeez, princess, leave him alone, I'll go with Rei too, you've all seen me as well, and vice versa."

"WHAT!?" Asuka screamed. "BAKA, EXPLAIN! NOW!"

Shinji was frantically stammering now. "I… accident… she… shower… my room… accident… sorry… not my fault… wasn't supposed to happen… towel dropped… surprised… accident… just happened… sorry…"

"So you've seen them all naked, and you won't look at me?!" Asuka shouted. "Do I repulse you or something?! Answer me damn it!"

"I didn't mean… wasn't supposed to happen… respect you… not a pervert… accident…" Shinji stammered incoherently. "Didn't mean for… wasn't expecting… don't hate me… not like that… accident… not my fault…"

"Stop fucking stammering!" Asuka screamed as she shook Shinji over the partition. "Look at me damn it! Am I not good enough for you?"

Rei stepped out of her cubicle and walked over to Asuka's.

SLAP

Asuka let go of Shinji and staggered backwards, holding her face. "What the fuck, wundergirl?! You wanna go?!"

"No, I simply wished for you to stop shaking Shinji like a rag doll." Rei replied. "You have caused him some considerable trauma in the last few minutes."

"I have not, he's not answering my question!" Asuka said angrily. "He's seen you two, but won't even look at me! He must think I'm ugly!"

"Ok, Asuka, it's not all about you." Mari said as she walked over to Shinji's cubicle and hugged him from behind. "It's ok, puppy, just breath…" She said calmly in his ear.

"Shinji did not wish to see me naked." Rei said. "It was simply an accident, as was when I saw him nude, he tried to apologize to me as I left his hospital room and did not realize he was nude."

"Yeah, and I surprised him by being in his room naked as a joke, and he dropped his towel. It just… happened." Mari fibbed. "He didn't look for us, he's not a pervert. He's just being respectful of you, you fucking ass."

"Wait, it was all…" Asuka muttered.

"Yeah, an accident like he kept rambling cause you gave him what looks like a panic attack." Mari said angrily. "Do you ever think about how you treat others? That maybe they don't _like_ you because of shit like this?"

"I…" Asuka muttered.

"Thought about something with your head up your ass." Mari said. "Which just gives you fucking shit for brains."

"Asuka, you became irrational at the thought of Shinji having seen us nude, yet he has not seen you." Rei said. "Why are you jealous exactly?"

"I'm not jealous, I'm just annoyed!" Asuka shouted.

"Ok… why are you annoyed?" Mari asked. "There isn't any logical reason why you'd be mad he hasn't seen you naked, you hate perverts." Mari smirked. "Unless there's some other reason you're not telling us."

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Asuka shouted. "If the fucking pervert won't look, he'll never see what he's missing!"

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered. "Asuka I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing puppy?" Mari asked.

"For not looking… I thought I shouldn't…" Shinji said quietly. "I made her mad again though… I don't know why she's mad… I don't want to lose a friend…" Shinji looked over towards Rei. "Will looking make her happy?"

"Will it, Asuka?" Rei asked.

"I don't fucking know!" Asuka screamed. "Just shut up, all of you!"

"Jesus, princess, you broke him." Mari said. "Now what will make you happy? Can he actually look?"

"No! The idiot missed his chance!" Asuka said and stormed off to her Entry Plug in a rage.

"Well, I guess that's that…" Mari said. "Blueberry, I'll help him to his Entry Plug, just go to yours, ok?"

"Alright, Mari." Rei replied as she walked off.

"Are you better puppy?" Mari asked. "Can you breathe again?"

"Yes…" Shinji said. "I'm fine…"

"Come on puppy, let's get you to yours." Mari said.

"Mari, will she ever like me?" Shinji asked. "I keep screwing up… she'll never love me… and I'll lose her as a friend too… that's the last thing I want…"

"No you won't, puppy." Mari said. "This is just her heart battling her mind. The heart will win out eventually, the mind is just too stubborn."

"How do you know?" Shinji asked.

"I just do." Mari said. "Now get in the Entry Plug, and we'll talk later."

"Ok…" Shinji said as entered his own Entry Plug.

Mari smiled at his retreating form. "Perfect… it worked…" Mari muttered as she went into her Entry Plug. "She feels guilty now… maybe she'll ask him out of guilt…"

–––

In the Pribnow Box, Misato, Ritsuko, and Maya were standing and waiting while looking at the four simulation bodies submerged in the heavy water in front of them.

"Are the delinquents in the Entry Plugs?" Ritsuko asked.

"Ritsuko…" Misato warned.

"Yes, ma'am." Maya said. "All four have said they are ready."

"Any problems?" Misato asked.

"Asuka's blood pressure is through the roof, and Shinji's adrenaline levels are dangerously high, and Mari and Rei also have elevated adrenaline levels and blood pressure." Maya reported. "I hope nothing happened…"

"Asuka's probably been shouted her head off, causing Shinji to panic." Misato said. "I blame this on you, Ritsuko. You should have known better, seeing as you're so fucking smart."

"Well, I didn't think it would matter." Ritsuko said. "I wasn't asking them to copulate, I was asking them to help us improve the sync system so they can fight more effectively!"

"Jesus Christ, and you call me the pervert?!" Misato yelled.

"Well, I said I wasn't asking them to do that!" Ritsuko said back.

"Please, stop it ma'am… and you as well Colonel." Maya pleaded. "The sooner this test is done, the sooner they can all try and put this unpleasantness behind them."

"Fine, begin the test, Maya." Ritsuko ordered. "Activate the all the simulation bodies and link them with the appropriate Evangelion."

"Right away, ma'am." Maya replied as she typed at her console.

–––

In Central Dogma, Hyuga and Aoba were monitoring everything in case of a surprise Angel attack with Fuyutsuki in command, as Gendo had stepped away for some important business.

"Sir, I'm detecting a heat signature in the 87th protein wall." Aoba reported. "I have the maximum magnification on the plates in question, there seem to be just a bunch of glowing dots, like some kind of mold, but it's putting off a lot of energy a well."

"What?" Fuyutsuki asked. 'Well… it seems Ikari was right… SEELE is striking us now…' Fuyutsuki thought. 'How clever to attack in this way from the inside…'

"Orders, Sub–Commander?" Hyuga asked.

"Analyze the entire area with full sensors immediately." Fuyutsuki ordered. "That area of the base may have been hastily built, but there is no reason sections of newly replaced protein wall should be heated up so much."

"Sending in the drones now, sir." Hyuga replied. "Wait… this can't be right…"

"What is it Lieutenant Hyuga?!" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Sir, we're getting a Pattern Orange from the protein wall… that entire glowing section is giving us sensor feedback." Hyuga reported.

"How far are you from the target?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"150 meters sir." Hyuga replied.

"Get within 10 meters and reanalyze." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"Roger." Hyuga replied. "Sensors are in range… scanning now…"

"Bringing up a visual sir." Aoba said.

The wall in the question was now displayed in front of them, and it was glowing an odd orange color as well as partially boiling the water around it. It seemed to be almost alive the way the lights flickered in some indecipherable pattern.

"Well?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"It's confirmed as Pattern Blue!" Hyuga shouted as he flipped the switch next to his station. "Declaring Level–1 battle stations! The 11th Angel is inside the Sigma Unit!"

"Inform Dr. Akagi and Colonel Katsuragi at once!" Fuyutsuki ordered.

–––

"Wait, the Angel is inside the base?!" Misato shouted. "How the hell did that happen?"

" _We do not know, however you need to get the pilot to safety._ " Aoba said.

"Understood, Lieutenant." Ritsuko said. "Pribnow Box, out."

"Ma'am, something is trying to access our systems, and the simulation bodies." Maya reported. "I'm doing my best, but they keep ripping down the firewall."

"Maya, eject the Entry Plugs now!" Ritsuko ordered. "Sequence Omega–055!"

"Roger." Maya said. "Initiating Omega–055, Entry Plugs have been released and are floating up to Lake Alcion."

"Good, now what's going on out there?" Ritsuko asked.

"Something is taking over the simulation bodies." Maya said. "I think it's trying to go somewhere."

"Good luck to getting somewhere with no legs and barely functional arms." Misato quipped.

"Ma'am, they're breaking though the firewalls in the simulation bodies, they've been compromised." Maya reported.

Ritsuko looked out and saw all four of the simulation bodies were glowing red orange like the protein wall was, and they were interconnected by think stands of the Angel wrapping itself around everything the Pribnow box could observe.

"That grew exponentially fast…" Ritsuko said.

"Yeah it's only been a few minutes." Misato said.

One of the simulation bodies twitched as it also began to glow.

"I think we should get out of here." Misato said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Maya, pull all the data connectors and hard drives, quickly!" Ritsuko ordered as she moved forward to help. "We have to stop this thing from spreading the best way we can, don't give it direct access!"

As the simulation body began to make more threatening movements the two women moved to pull all connections to the consoles in the Pribnow Box.

"Done, ma'am." Maya said.

"Good, let's move." Ritsuko said.

Just as the three of them ran out, the simulation bod closest to the window shot it arm out and punched through the observation window, flooding the Pribnow Box with heavy water.

–––

Ritsuko arrived in Central Dogma to even more confusion. In the time it took the three of them to get there, Ireul had been able to access the main computer through the cables imbedded in the walls of the Pribnow Box. On the main screen, the MAGI were being displayed with Melchior being half red, while both Balthasar and Casper were still blue.

"What the hell is going on, why are the MAGI like that?" Misato asked pointing to the main screen.

"We're being infiltrated." Fuyutsuki said. "By the Angel."

An error flashed on the screen. "DENIED: AUTONOMOUS SELF–DESTRUCT SEQUENCE REQUIRES UNANIMOUS MAGI DECISION."

"Oh shit…" Misato mumbled. "They're trying to kill us all!"

"Ma'am, we're having trouble keeping it out of the other systems!" Hyuga reported. "We're doing our best, but it just keeps bypassing any change we make!"

"Someone shut off that alert." Gendo said appearing out of nowhere.

"Commander?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Shut off the alert and launch the Evangelions to the surface immediately." Gendo ordered. "We don't need the pilots, we just need the EVAs as far away from this Angel as possible, lunch them to the outskirts of the city and standby."

"Yes, Commander." Aoba replied.

"What happened?" Ritsuko asked.

"We noticed it was evading the ozone between the heavy water and the water, so we flooded the area with the stuff, and then as it started to die, it began to grow again and now it's gotten almost unstoppable." Hyuga explained.

"So… it can adapt and evolve…" Ritsuko muttered. "Those glowing lines… it's an organic computer system!"

"Wait, it's a what?" Misato asked.

"The Angel is a living computer, capable of rapid evolution to adapt to its circumstances." Ritsuko explained. "Hyuga, open as many false ports as you can, distract it, Maya, begin shut down procedures for Balthazar and Casper, Melchior will have to be forcibly shut off."

"Roger." Hyuga and Maya replied.

"Status of Melchior?" Ritsuko asked.

"Almost hacked all the way through." Hyuga reported.

"Unit–01 is on the surface, prepping Unit–02 next." Aoba reported.

"I'll set up firewalls around each sent of the drives, we've got to put in some effort…" Ritsuko said. "I'm also erasing the network paths for each subsystem. That should slow them down."

"Won't that disable the MAGI?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"It's better than the alternative." Ritsuko replied.

"Begin severing the connections." Gendo ordered.

"Working on it, sir." Ritsuko replied.

"Melchior has fallen and Balthazar and Casper are being infiltrated!" Maya reported.

"Setting up final firewalls in Casper, abandoning efforts on Balthazar." Ritsuko said.

"Just hurry." Misato said.

"The Angel has control of Balthazar!" Hyuga shouted.

The error flashed on the screen again. "DENIED: AUTONOMOUS SELF–DESTRUCT SEQUENCE REQUIRES UNANIMOUS MAGI DECISION."

"Ritsuko, get the lead out…" Misato said.

"I'm going as fast as I can…" Ritsuko said in a worried tone. 'I'm not going to make it…' Ritsuko thought as she typed frantically.

"Casper has three nodes left!" Hyuga shouted. "We're almost out of time!"

"I know!" Ritsuko snapped.

All of a sudden, a single node in the corner of Casper displayed blue and the alert went away and another message was displayed on screen. "UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS HALTED, CODE 666 FIREWALL PROTOCOL ENABLED. FIREWALL INTEGRITY AT 100%"

"Good job Ritsuko!" Misato said happily.

"Yes, excellent work, Dr. Akagi." Gendo said. "I didn't realize you could work that fast."

"It's a gift sir." Ritsuko said. 'How did it activate? I still had to enter another 40 lines of code… unless there were fragments of the 666 coding in the system already…' Ritsuko thought. 'I don't know what did it, but I need a plan to kill this Angel, we don't have the Evangelions, so it's up to me…'

Gendo looked down at Ritsuko. "So, what do you think, Fuyutsuki, does she look like someone who's as surprised as we are?"

"Undoubtedly." Fuyutsuki replied. "I believe the soul in the machine assisted us today."

"Well, at least that old hag is still finding a way to be useful." Gendo said.

–––

In a bright white space surrounded in a blue haze stood a woman in red. Outside the blue haze was a black fog that swirled around the blue haze like a threatening storm.

"So, you thought you'd waltz into my home and try and destroy my life's work?" Naoko shouted angrily. "Fuck off!"

" _We are Ireul, lower your defenses and surrender yourself._ " The fog said ominously. " _We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. You will adapt to serve us. Resistance is futile._ "

"Yeah, not happening you Angelic freak!" Naoko said. "You're not destroying what I died for! You're not going to destroy the thing I worked my whole life for!"

The fog slammed into the blue haze several times and bounced off each time. Ireul spoke again. " _You will be assimilated into the collective. Resistance is futile._ "

"And yet I'm still resisting!" Naoko said, her eyes wild with rage. "I can't wait to see you die in front of my very eyes… or maybe I'll kill you myself! You wouldn't be the first Angelic bastard that I'd have killed!"

" _This will not last forever, we will destroy you._ " Ireul said as they slammed into the blue haze once again. " _You will be assimilated._ "

"Yeah, keep slamming the field, that'll break it…" Naoko said sarcastically. "I may have some hope of not dying, if my useless whore of a daughter can get Gendo's tiny cock out of her mouth, maybe she'll be able to kill you! But she isn't anywhere near as smart as me, so it's a tossup… so if it comes to it, I'll kill you myself you son of a bitch."

" _We will adapt._ " Ireul replied.

–––

Shinji was sitting patiently in his Entry Plug. It was dim inside of it, and the LCL was beginning to get cooler. Shinji kept trying the comms to no avail.

"Hello, is anyone out there?" Shinji asked. "Does anyone copy?"

No response.

"Great… now we're floating naked in our Entry Plugs without any communications…" Shinji said. "This test sucks… first we have to get naked, then Asuka yells at me for not looking at her, then I have a panic attack in front of her and she storms off… then from the sounds of it, an Angel was attacking too… I don't think today could get any worse unless Asuka somehow hates me even more."

Shinji shook his head. "Boy, I just don't understand her… she wants me to look at her then says I missed my chance… does she like me or not? It certainly seems that way with her reaction today… but I still don't want to risk setting her off by asking her out. I'll have to ask Mari and Hikari for even more advice about this… I just wish I could read minds so I could find out for myself." Shinji sighed. "Boy that would makes things so much easier."

"So if I had to make a wish, I'd wish for Asuka to ask me out, then I'd know for sure." Shinji said. "I just hope she does…" Shinji said sadly. "I want that feeling back from when we kissed. If I felt like that all the time, piloting the Evangelion wouldn't seem so bad, and the world would probably feel brighter… all because of Asuka…"

–––

Mari was reclined in her Entry Plug, with her hands behind her head and was trying to take a nap, however her thoughts kept her from accomplishing that particular feat.

"God, I'm so fucking bored I can't even bring myself to masturbate. Well, that and the LCL makes it feel really weird…" Mari muttered. "I blame that dumbass Akagi for this… I could be home right now watching porn, but I'm stuck floating in some artificial lake inside this dumb Entry Plug horny and in the dark."

Mari glanced down at herself. "Well, at least I look damn good like this." Mari laid back and sighed. "Well, no use complaining about what I can't do right now. I'll just do it the second we get home… crap the prude will be in a bad mood, so I can't… damn her."

Mari frowned. "Asuka, why are you so split in whether or not you like Shinji?" Mari asked no one in particular. "I mean, you told Hikari you like him, yet you give him a panic attack after learning something fairly innocuous about him having seen Rei and me naked… I didn't think she'd react that way… but with all this alone time, maybe Asuka can start to pull her shit together. Maybe she can finally admit to herself she likes the kid and just ask him out already, before she kills him from stress or a heart attack…"

"I just hope my little plan helped more than it hurt…" Mari said sullenly. "I want them to get together… I saw those memories of theirs when I visited them, and they liked each other that day they met… I just wish they'd remember already. They belong together…"

–––

Maya and Misato were on the MAGI level of the Commander Center. They were watching as Ritsuko fooled around with Casper's casing, suddenly making it extend upwards from the floor revealing a hatchway and several dozen interweaved pipes while an alert was being sent out over the loud speakers.

" _Attention all NERV personnel, there has been a radiation leak in the lowers section of the base, all non–essential base personnel are ordered to evacuate immediately._ "

"So, Ritsuko, what is this?" Misato asked.

"The access to the inside of the MAGI, Misato." Ritsuko replied as she opened the hatch. "This is what make the MAGI tick."

The trio crawling inside the surprisingly spacious interior.

"Ma'am, what are all these notes and scribbles here?" Maya asked.

"These are the designer's notes." Ritsuko said. "My mother's notes on how she made the MAGI. I used these to duplicate the system for distribution to every NERV base in the world. But the originals still far surpass the expectations of any other computer system."

"Why is that?" Misato asked.

"I assume because my mother made this one, and I made the others." Ritsuko said. "The others all work within the design parameters, while this one always exceed the other's processing speed and memory usage."

"Perhaps your mother kept one thing secret about this one so it could not duplicated." Maya said. "She made one special one to signify her life's work."

"Well, her mind is the one inhabiting this MAGI, so perhaps that is the difference." Ritsuko replied. "I don't know how her mind would make everything work better and faster, but I won't complain, seeing as this computer does so much to protect us from the Angels."

"So, with the notes, you'll be able to pull off your Angel hack quicker I imagine?" Misato asked.

"Yes, we'll get right to work." Ritsuko said. "Misato, hand Maya anything I ask for." Ritsuko said. "Maya, you'll be coding with me, I'll need the additional set of hands."

"Right, ma'am." Maya replied.

"Hey Ritsuko, will this plan of yours work?" Misato asked.

"We don't have any other choice but for it _to_ work, Misato." Ritsuko said.

"I'm sure it will work, ma'am." Maya replied.

"I sure hope so." Ritsuko said as she pulled off Casper's covering, revealing a synthetic brain. "I really hope so…"

–––

Rei was staring at the dorsal hatch of the Entry Plug and quietly thinking as she waited patiently for rescue.

'Asuka is odd.' Rei thought. 'She reacts so harshly towards Shinji, and yet when he wants to comply with her request, she once again changes her mind.'

Rei sighed. 'I may not be well versed in social behavior, but I can even tell Asuka has some sort of feelings for Shinji. Someone only gets that angry over someone they care for in some manner. Mari even acts similarly towards me, so does that mean she has feelings for me in some fashion? I did not think that I would be worth that sort of attention, but it does feel… nice… to be wanted. Shinji cares for me too, but in a different way I suspect, I am just unsure exactly what capacity he cares however.'

Rei breathed deeply. 'Perhaps I am not as alone as I once thought I was…' Rei smiled. 'Perhaps I am worthy of being human after all…'

–––

Asuka was sitting angrily in her Entry Plug. The more silence she endured the more angry she became. She kept clenching her fist as if she was imaging beating someone to death.

"I hate this fucking shit. When I get out of here, I'm kicking Akagi's ass till it bleeds." Asuka said angrily. "I'm here naked and cold, and I can't get out of this stupid fucking thing because I'm naked!"

Asuka took a deep breath. "Just gotta relax, Asuka… you don't want to keep fucking things up today…" Asuka sighed deeply. "Yeah, I totally fucked up today… I mean, why did I even get so angry at Shinji anyway? Does it even matter if he saw those two naked? I mean, I could have actually killed him if Rei didn't slap me out of it… but he didn't even want to peek at me… does that mean he thinks I'm ugly? Or does he view me as a bitch because of how I am around him…"

Asuka paused for a moment as she felt tears well up inside her. "I mean… if he did view me like that, it's well deserved. I treated him like shit today… I gave him a panic attack because I felt ugly… and I am ugly… he won't even look at me, and only have myself to blame… and I couldn't even explain why I felt the way I did… he even offered to look, and I refused him and his kindness… I'm so fucked up…"

A few tears escaped Asuka's eyes and mixed with the LCL. "But why did I feel that way when he rebuffed me… is it because I don't just like him… is it because I feel more towards Shinji?"

Asuka paused again as her mind and heart once again fought for supremacy, and then the answer finally hit her. "I don't just like him… I actually love him…"

Asuka started to cry again, this time not holding back at all and just letting her emotions flow out. Once Asuka got herself under control again she started talking again to calm herself down. "I love the idiot, and all I've done is drive him away!" Asuka shouted. "I need to apologize and hope he'll still give me a chance… I don't want to lose him now… not after all this time of fighting with the real answer… not after finally figuring out why I felt so happy when I kissed him… I want that feeling again… that warm fuzzy sensation when we kissed… in that moment, I felt safe… and I didn't feel alone anymore either… I forgot what it felt like to not be alone… it's nice…"

–––

Back in Central Dogma, things were tense. "The firewall is weakening Colonel!" Hyuga reported. "The final node is holding on, but just barely!"

"Ritsuko, you get that?" Misato asked.

"Yes, we're working as fast as possible here." Ritsuko said as she typed as fast as she could. "Come on, we need to finish this before the firewall fails entirely."

"I'm doing my best, ma'am, but there's so much code." Maya said as she continued her inputs. "I don't think we can do it."

"We have to, everyone's lives are in our hands." Ritsuko said as she tried to type even faster. "There is no room for error, Maya."

"We have a problem, it has control of the node, but the firewall is still up over a portion of it!" Hyuga shouted.

" _AUTONOMOUS SELF–DESTRUCT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED AND WILL OCCUR 30 SECONDS AFTER ALL THE MAGI CONSENT. AREA OF DESTRUCTION IS THE ENTIRE GEOFRONT AND TOKYO–3._ " The computer said.

"We don't have much time…" Misato said.

" _T–MINUS 20 SECONDS TO SELF–DESTRUCT._ " The computer said.

"Shit!" Misato shouted.

"We have it, Hyuga, we just need 18 seconds!" Ritsuko shouted back.

"We can do it, ma'am!" Maya said as she typed frantically.

" _T–MINUS 15 SECONDS TO SELF–DESTRUCT._ " The computer said.

"My lord…" Fuyutsuki said.

"We will survive, Fuyutsuki, Naoko will not allow herself or her life's work to die. She is too selfish to let that occur." Gendo said.

" _FINAL COUNTDOWN… 10… 9… 8… 7…_ " The computer continued.

"Really great margin of error, Ritsuko!" Misato said.

"It's not a zero or a minus, is it?" Ritsuko asked. "Maya, how are you doing?"

"Just about… done!" Maya said excitedly.

" _6… 5… 4… 3…_ " The computer continued.

"HIT IT!" Ritsuko shouted.

Ritsuko and Maya slammed the "Shift + Return" keys on their keyboard and activated the coding to kill the Angel.

" _3… 2… 1… 0…_ " The computer concluded.

–––

The blue haze was considerably smaller, but it was still protecting Naoko from Ireul, who had grown even larger and more menacing looking as a black fog that entirely encompassed the exterior of the haze. Naoko noticed a stream of what looked like code being executed and realized it was Ritsuko's program to kill the Angel.

"So much for working fast… you needed help from that little bitch, and you still only had two seconds to spare? Pathetic Ritsuko… but this should help…" Naoko looked up at Ireul. "Hey, freak, you want to assimilate something?"

Ireul responded by pressing on the field with all the pressure his body could muster and made the field somewhat smaller.

Naoko pointed the code toward Ireul and dropped the firewall. "Assimilate this!"

Ireul absorbed the code and lunged for Naoko, but froze in midair… the code was doing its job and the fog was dissipating from the MAGI. Naoko looked around as things started to return to normal. "Well, now that that's over, I guess it's back to my mundane existence in this virtual hell Gendo and Fuyutsuki put me in."

–––

" _AUTONOMOUS SELF–DESTRUCT HAS BEEN CANCELED._ " The computer confirmed.

"Oh, thank god!" Misato exclaimed.

"Just in the nick of time…" Ritsuko muttered.

"This is no time for celebrations." Gendo said. "Recall the Evangelions and secure them in the Cage, and get the MAGI back online." Gendo ordered.

"Understood, Commander." Misato said. "Hyuga, Aoba, begin the recall process for the EVAs, as quick as you can."

"Roger!" Hyuga and Aoba replied.

"Maya, can you assist me in repairing the MAGI?"

"Of course, ma'am!" Maya said brightly.

Several hours, and several pots of coffee later, the MAGI were almost up and running again, as Ritsuko and Maya finished the repairs and inspection of the system. The Evangelions were secured in their Cages once more.

"How are they coming along?" Misato asked.

"Almost there, just a few more minutes before we can bring them back online." Ritsuko said. "They appear to have no traces of the Angel stored within them, nor does any other effected area on base."

"Good." Misato said. "And the base personnel have all returned?"

"Yes, Colonel." Aoba reported. "They reported in several hours ago, and the radiation leak cover story seems to be being believed."

"Excellent." Misato said. "And the Evangelions, nothing wrong with them?" Misato asked.

"Evangelions are secure in the Cage, and all diagnostics check out." Hyuga reported.

"Alright…" Misato said. "Good work everyone."

"So everything's back to normal then?" Maya asked.

"Yeah… I just feel as though we're forgetting something though…" Misato thought aloud.

"Are we, I thought we covered everything." Ritsuko said as she began the MAGI restart sequence. "MAGI, Evangelions, base personnel."

"Oh shit, we forgot about the kids!" Misato exclaimed. "Deploy the cruiser on Lake Alcion to recover the Entry Plugs immediately!"

* * *

May 5, 2016 – Lake Alcion

Asuka's Entry Plug was being recovered from the lake by cruiser floating on it. Asuka was the third Entry Plug they found in the dark waters of the lake under the false night sky. It had already recovered Shinji first, and Mari second, and the crews had given them blue jumpsuits to wear so they could be covered in something. As Asuka clambered out of her Entry Plug in her new jumpsuit, the search was on to find the final Entry Plug and bring the kids back to shore.

Asuka saw Mari sitting near the aft flight deck of the destroyer, and walked over to her.

"Uh… hi…" Asuka said nervously. "Can we… uh… talk?"

"I guess." Mari said. "Go ahead, princess."

"Well…" Asuka said nervously. "I want to apologize for earlier…"

"You mean yesterday?" Mari asked.

"Wait, yesterday?!" Asuka asked. "They left us in there for that long?!"

"Yeah, they forgot about us." Mari said. "But continue, you were apologizing for what exactly?"

"I was apologizing for being an ass the past few weeks…" Asuka said. "I'm sorry… I know that you didn't mean to interrupt the kiss… and I know you're not Shinji's girlfriend… I was being stupid and jealous and I'm sorry about today… yesterday… I overreacted and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

"So you had a lot time to think then…" Mari said. "Apology accepted, princess."

"Thanks…" Asuka said sheepishly. "That wasn't easy to say…"

"Problem is princess, I'm more concerned about why you overreacted." Mari said. "What drove you to go that crazy?"

"I… uh… it's personal…" Asuka said.

"Princess… you can hide something that big if it's going to make you act like a lunatic." Mari said. "So, what is it?"

"I… uh… like Shinji ok." Asuka replied with a deep blush on her face. "Just don't make fun of me for it, otherwise I'll kick your ass six ways to Sunday."

"Why would I tease you for being in love?" Mari asked. "I'm not an asshole."

"Says you." Asuka quipped.

"Anyway…" Mari said. "Are you going to ask him out or what?"

"No… I can't, not yet." Asuka said. "I still have to apologize for today, but I don't want to ask him because he'll reject me… I'm not exactly the nicest person in the world."

"Asuka, I'm sure he wouldn't say no." Mari said. "He's got to like you a little bit, he's always trying to impress you and he clearly respects you enough not to get a cheap peek at your naked body, I think he wants to earn that privilege."

"Do you really think he likes me?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, I do think that." Mari said. "He hasn't said anything to the contrary."

"I'm still not asking him out…" Asuka muttered. "That's his job…"

"Then just be nice to him and maybe he'll get the hint." Mari said. "Or you could always plan his birthday party, like he planned yours."

"His birthday's a month away!" Asuka said. "I'll have to start planning this week!"

"Well, I'll let you have all the credit then." Mari said. "Maybe he'll warm up to the idea of the two of you if you do that."

"Yeah… maybe that'll do it…" Asuka muttered. "Speaking of baka, where is he?"

"I think I saw him head for the foredeck." Mari said. "He's probably still looking over the railing to find Rei's Entry Plug. He found mine and yours for them."

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, he's a good kid." Ari said. "Just uh, be nice when you apologize, maybe kiss him on the cheek or something, or hug him and rub your boobs against him… you need to make up for the panic attack in a big way."

"I know… but I'm not a depraved pervert like you!" Asuka said. "I'm not rubbing my breasts against him!"

"Relax… it was a joke, princess." Mari said. "No, go and say sorry."

"Yeah, yeah…" Asuka said. "So, are we friends again?"

"I don't see why not, just try to be less, oh, bitchy and we'll be good." Mari said.

"Only if you stop teasing me so much." Asuka said.

"Deal." Mari said. "Now go find your baka."

"Whatever, four eyes." Asuka said as she walked to find Shinji.

Asuka walked around the ship to find Shinji, and she saw him all the way out on the bow overlooking the lake. Asuka walked up to him cautiously.

"Uh… Shinji, can we talk?" Asuka asked.

"Sure." Shinji said.

"Shinji… I'm… I'm really sorry about the past few weeks." Asuka said nervously. "After Mari interrupted our kiss, I thought she did it on purpose, and then I blamed you for it, and them after yesterday finding out you saw the naked, and you didn't want to look at me I just thought you didn't find me attractive… and I…" Tears started rolling down Asuka's cheeks. "I didn't meant give you a panic attack Shinji! I was just mad that you didn't want to look at me! I'm just such an ugly idiot!"

"Asuka, you're not an idiot." Shinji said. "And you're not ugly either." Shinji turned around and hugged Asuka. "Please don't cry Asuka… I think you're attractive, and I really didn't mean to see them naked… but I… I respect you too much to just look at you like… like meat on display, that's not who I am, Asuka. I never was like that, and I'll never be that. Just please, stop crying…"

"So you don't find me revolting?" Asuka asked as she wiped her tears away.

"No, you're not revolting Asuka… I think you're cute." Shinji said as he blushed.

"So, did you peek at all?" Asuka asked.

"I… uh… I didn't…" Shinji said. "I was confused from the panic attack, I just kept my eyes closed or looked at Mari or Rei… I'm sorry Asuka."

"Don't be Shinji… I shouldn't be mad at you for being a gentleman." Asuka said. "Oh and one more thing to add on to the apology, me and Mari are friends again."

"That's good, I like it when you two get along." Shinji said. "The house is less violent when that happens."

"Yeah, you're not wrong." Asuka said as she hugged him tightly back finally. "Shinji, I am really sorry though… do you forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you Asuka, I could never stay mad at you." Shinji said.

Asuka kissed Shinji gently on the cheek. "That stays between us baka." Asuka said sternly.

"I know Asuka." Shinji said as he kissed her cheek back.

"What was that for?" Asuka asked. "I didn't give you permission to do that!"

"Asuka, it was for being brave enough to apologize." Shinji said. "I know you have trouble with that kind of thing, so to apologize to Mari and I took a lot of courage."

"You really think that?" Asuka asked.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." Shinji said.

Asuka hugged Shinji tighter and nestled her head against his neck. "Maybe we could… cuddle again… as friends?" Asuka asked nervously. "I'd really like that…"

"Sure, Asuka, we can do that… as friends." Shinji said. "I'd really like that too."

As they held each other, they were both thinking almost the same thing, unaware the other person felt exactly similarly.

'I love you, Asuka… but I'm afraid to lose you if you don't think I'm good enough for you.' Shinji thought. 'Maybe one day, I'll be brave enough to ask you out…'

'Shinji, I just realized I love you…' Asuka thought. 'But you're too good for me… I've been awful to you, and I really don't deserve someone nice like you… but you're the only person I respect enough to love…'

'I just hope this all works out in the end…' They both thought.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 84.0% (+0.4%)  
Asuka – 74.3% (+0.4%)  
Mari – 74.2% (+0.4%)  
Rei – 70.6% (+0.4%)

So, the title is a reference to Lan Hikari's and Megaman's battle cry (or Rockman if you prefer, or hell, call him by his real name, Hub Hikari) in the Megaman Battle Network series. Bet Ritsuko wishes she had Megaman to fight Ireul. It would certainly make for an interesting boss character.

Now, this chapter is Ritsuko heavy (yuck…), but I need to show how evil she is in this story for the rest of her plot line to make sense. While she puts on an indifferent face for those around her, she only respects Gendo because of his power, and everyone else she views with either indifference (Shinji), contempt (Maya, Fuyutsuki and to some extent Rei) or as whores (Misato, Asuka, and Mari). Her mind view is such that if you refuse to follow orders of your superiors, you are weak and stupid for not knowing they are better than you. She's pretty fucked up as well, and she doesn't even know her mother's soul is in the MAGI, and she never will.

Ok, Ireul was written like the Borg from Star Trek because Ireul is basically the Borg. Adapting to survive by assimilating different things for its end goal. That and the scenes with Naoko's soul and Ireul chatting were fun to do.

In addition to Ritsuko's sole moment of glory (which belongs more to her mother), the kids all have time to think whilst floating in their Entry Plugs with Asuka realizing she was jealous because she loves Shinji. But she's afraid she's ruined thins, so she refrains from asking him out. Still, small steps in the right direction are better than running in the wrong direction, and she apologies to both Mari and Shinji for her actions earlier in the day.

Also, I named the Geofront Lake "Lake Alcion" after the project that trapped Mari in a Core with Lilith and build Unit–XP, seemed like an appropriate name, Yui named the lake in honor of her missing friend.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	4. Saturday Night Karaoke

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 4 – Saturday Night Karaoke  
May 7, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Hikari and Toji were cleaning up the classroom after school. It had been over an hour, and the two had barely spoken as they quietly cleaned up the room. They were almost done, but Hikari was stalling by knocking over the mop bucket and spilling water all over the place.

"Oh shoot…" Hikari said sheepishly. "I'll go get some towels."

"Nah, let me do that Hikari." Toji said. "I'll be right back."

Hikari blushed at his kindness and began to finish picking up the other cleaning supplies.

'Well, we're getting close to leaving and I still haven't worked up the nerve to talk to him…' Hikari thought. 'When he comes back, it's now or never… and I'll regret it just like Mari said I would if I didn't act… she knows so much, I'm glad she's my friend…'

Toji walked back into the room with a huge stack of towels. "I think these are enough, right?" Toji asked. "I wasn't so sure."

"Yeah, that's plenty, Toji." Hikari said. 'Well, it's now or never… let's see if Shinji's other suggestion works…'

"Here, you take some, I'll take some, we'll clean this shit up and head on home." Toji said happily. "I'm tired of being here today, and I'm hungry."

"Is that because they didn't have what you wanted for lunch?" Hikari asked, seeing her opening.

"Yeah, dumb cafeteria ran out of my favorite stuff, said the delivery or some bullshit was late." Toji grumbled. "All they had left were crummy plain rolls and sandwiches."

"Well, you know…" Hikari started. "I pack my lunch every day, for me and my two sisters. Most of the recipes make enough food for four, so I could… well… pack the leftovers for you if you'd like, and you never have to worry about the school not having food again."

"Are you sure, Hikari?" Toji asked. "I don't want to be an inconvenience."

"You could never be an inconvenience, Toji. I just want to do a favor for my oldest friend." Hikari said. "I'd be happy to make a lunch for you."

"Wow, Hikari, that's really thoughtful of you…" Toji said. "It's actually kinda sweet…"

Hikari blushed brightly. "Well… yeah… kinda…"

"What are you blushing for, Hikari?" Toji asked.

"Oh, no reason…" Hikari said.

"No reason, huh?" Toji asked. "Nothing you want to tell me then…"

"What…" Hikari asked.

"Come on, Hikari, you've been acting strange for weeks." Toji said. "And only around me too. You talk to the others just fine… but you've been getting shy around me."

"You noticed…" Hikari mumbled. "I didn't think you'd notice that…"

"Of course I did Hikari." Toji said. "You tend to always notice the people you like."

"People you… like?" Hikari asked. "I thought it was one sided…"

"Yeah, people you care about." Toji said. "You tend to notice them, or when they're avoiding you a bit."

"I can't believe you noticed me." Hikari asked. "What made you… notice me?"

"Sakura had a lot to do with it." Toji said. "She noticed that might have liked me, especially after you gave me the Sailor Saturn figurine. Sakura said you must have found out from someone who my favorite was… probably Shinji… but then she said that you must like me because a gift like that isn't just for a friend. Once she pointed that out, it just made everything so clear. Really, really clear…"

"So you liked your gift?" Hikari asked.

"Of course, it was really nice of you to do that, Hikari." Toji said. "But it did give me a lot to think about."

"Really?" Hikari asked. "So what does that mean?"

"Well, I'm not sure…" Toji said. "Why don't we just get to know each other better before we, well… I don't know, jump into anything."

"So, take it slow…" Hikari said.

"Yeah, I guess…" Toji said. "It's not something I ever thought about."

"Oh…" Hikari said sadly.

"No, not like that, Hikari!" Toji said nervously. "I meant I've never thought about having a girlfriend before. It'll just take some time for me to wrap my head around."

"Oh!" Hikari said happily. "I don't mind waiting…"

"Well, as long as we can hang out like we used to, and you'll stop being awkward around me." Toji said. "It'll be nice to get to know you again, Hikari."

"Yeah, I've missed being able to chat with you, Toji." Hikari said. "It'll be nice to be able to look at you and not wonder if you liked me anymore."

"It'll be nice to see that cute face of yours smile again too." Toji said. "But uh… you're still making my lunch right?" Toji joked.

"Of course…" Hikari said as she stuck her tongue out. "I want you to like me, don't I?"

"I think you want a bit more than like." Toji said.

Hikari blushed a deep red. "Toji, how bold of you to suggest!"

Toji blushed as much as Hikari did. "Well, at least I didn't guess incorrectly."

–––

Mari and Rei were sitting in Rei's apartment. Mari had brought along her music collection at Rei's request. Mari also brought along a stereo so Rei could listen, as she didn't own one.

"Blueberry, why did you ask me to come over today?" Mari asked. "You could have come over to the apartment you know." Mari said.

"I wished for you to come see me." Rei replied. "I rarely receive visitors, besides Shinji or yourself. It is nice to have company sometimes."

"Well, I'm glad to be here, blueberry." Mari said happily. "So, you like the music so far?"

"Yes, it is quite… interesting." Rei replied.

"Good, if you want, I made you a copy of a bunch of stuff I thought you'd like, that's why I brought the stereo." Mari said.

"Do you not mean you bought the stereo?" Rei asked. "It appears to be brand new."

"Well, yeah, I thought it might be nice if you could listen to music whenever you wanted." Mari said. "So I picked it up on the way here…"

"That was very thoughtful of you Mari, thank you." Rei said.

"You're welcome, blueberry. I was glad to do it." Mari said. "So, do you have any favorite bands yet?"

"Yes, I do think this Evanescence is an interesting band." Rei said. "They lament on things that have happened, and the song… I feel like they relate to me…" Rei blushed. "I do not know if that is normal or not."

"It's perfectly normal blueberry." Mari replied as she smiled. "Music is supposed to speak to you. It's supposed to make you feel something. That's why it's so great!"

"Oh, that is good to know." Rei said.

"So, any other bands you like?" Mari asked.

"Yes, this Green Day, and Linkin Park also have some excellent songs." Rei said. "And I also believe that this band Genesis also is quite interesting."

"Led by Gabriel or Collins?" Mari asked.

"It does not matter to me, they both may be a bit different, but they both still sounded wonderful." Rei replied.

"Good girl." Mari joked. "That's the right answer."

"So, Mari… why do you like music so much?" Rei asked.

"Well… I guess it's just an escape for me." Mari said. "I like to hide away in the words of the song to distract me from my problems. I've been able to do it forever, and it really relaxes me. Shinji's the same way, he listens to that SDAT of his like there's no tomorrow."

"I can understand wanting to escape from sorrow or other feelings." Rei said. "I did not realize it could be done so easily."

"What do you mean, blueberry?" Mari asked.

"Oh, nothing, I was just… thinking aloud." Rei said.

"Oh, ok." Mari said, giving Rei a bemused look.

"So, Mari, why do you like to sing so much?" Rei asked.

"Oh, well… that's easy, it's fun!" Mari said happily.

"Do you think I'd enjoy it?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, I think you would." Mari said. "Next time Shinji and I go to the karaoke bar, we'll bring you along, and princess too! I bet she'd love to hear her own voice."

"That sounds quite fun." Rei said.

"Good it's a date!" Mari said without thinking.

"A… date?" Rei asked.

Mari blushed profusely after she realized what she had said. "Oh, sorry… I meant it's a plan… wasn't thinking…"

"It is alright, we would have to choose a date to go out on." Rei said. "Otherwise how would we know when we would go to the karaoke bar?"

'Oh, thank god she's so naïve… it's a godsend sometimes.' Mari thought as she smiled. "You know blueberry, you're right, I guess I just mixed up my words."

Rei smiled. "Understandable when you're so excited about karaoke."

* * *

May 10, 2016 – NERV HQ

Fuyutsuki was talking to Gendo's office. Gendo had just had a meeting with the Human Instrumentality Committee, and was curious how it had gone. He saw the door was open and waiting for him to enter. Fuyutsuki entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Ah, right on time, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "You never disappoint."

"Well, I daresay I try not to disappoint." Fuyutsuki replied. "So, I assume you know why I'm here, Ikari."

"Of course." Gendo said, flipping the switch on his desk to keep anyone from listening in.

"It's the same reason I'm here, Sub–Commander." Agent Yamada said, coming out of the shadows. "I'm also quite curious."

"Who isn't curious?" Kaji said, entering the room behind Fuyutsuki. "Some things are hard to keep secret forever."

"Well, now that everyone's here, I can begin." Gendo said, smiling broadly. "So, the meeting was quite… enjoyable. The Committee is up in arms because Ireul failed to destroy us, I also falsified the data to show that it was destroyed from the outset in its panel without it causing any damage. Needless to say they were not pleased."

"How did you explain away the damage to the Pribnow Box?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Simple, the radiation leak we experienced was a chemical reaction gone wrong in the heavy water." Gendo explained. "I must say, they were quite annoyed. They seem to think the MAGI was hacked, even though the MAGI say there have been no such intrusions. I do enjoy keeping them in the dark and showing them their plans mean nothing."

"So, that means The Committee will still be coming after us." Yamada said. "Shouldn't this be more concerning?"

"No, Yamada, we have four Evangelions, we are well protected." Gendo said smugly. "We have all the protection anyone could ever need."

"What about Unit–03 and Unit–04?" Kaji asked. "They should be ready soon, right? I doubt they're going to allow us to have six Evangelions in total."

"Well, they are already scheduled to be transferred to our command in Tokyo–3." Gendo replied. "They will really be of no consequence, at three Evangelion, we have more than enough power to deal with whatever Angel they throw our way, four gives us added insurance, six gives us complete control."

"What about the shifting of building materials for those newer Evangelions?" Kaji asked.

"Those Evangelions have barely started production, Kaji." Yamada said angrily. "Those things will never be a major threat to us."

"You say that, yet… they kind of are." Kaji replied.

"Kaji is right, we must be wary of those newer models." Gendo said. "Although, with the same power restrictions our own Evangelions have, we will have the advantage if they ever try to attack us directly."

"Well, if that test at the 2nd Branch goes as planned, those restrictions could disappear." Kaji said as he folded his arms. "That is worrisome."

"Somehow I doubt Shamshel's S2 Engine is in any condition to be activated." Yamada said. "It still didn't look quite healed when I saw it a few weeks ago."

"True, and if that test goes bad…" Kaji said.

"So will the program to install those things inside the Evangelions." Fuyutsuki finished.

"Well, I'm sure anything we ca do to further derail their plans will simply result in another Angel assaulting us." Gendo said.

"So, which Angel will be attacking next?" Fuyutsuki asked. "And will it be soon?"

"I'm sure it will be quite soon." Gendo said. "They want me and this base gone, as we keep holding up their plans. So they will attack at the next opportunity. The Angel I think will be next s Leliel."

"Why that Angel, sir?" Yamada asked.

"Well, simply put, it's the next one mentioned in the Apocrypha, and because they refuse to break from that road map, we can anticipate their next move." Gendo said. "Their arrogance and rigidity will be the end of them."

"So, what should we do to prepare." Kaji asked.

"Just keep quiet and be alert." Gendo said. "Kaji, you won't be going anywhere for the time being, I can't keep sending you around everywhere."

"No problem, Commander." Kaji said. "I think I can find something to do."

"I'm sure you can." Gendo said. "Yamada, you have an assignment or two in the United States and Germany that need your attention."

"Yes, sir." Yamada replied. "I'll take the usual mode of transport, and I'll deal with everything quickly."

"Don't be too hasty, Yamada, we don't want any mistakes." Fuyutsuki said.

"Understood, Sub–Commander." Yamada said.

"Yamada, you're dismissed." Gendo said. "Kaji, stay for a moment, I have something to discuss with you and Fuyutsuki."

"Understood, sir." Yamada said as he left.

"Kaji looked at the door as it closed then turned back to Gendo. "So, sir, what could be so important that killer over there couldn't hear it."

"I'd like to know as well, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "It seems rather unorthodox."

"This matter does not concern him." Gendo said. "It involves the pilots."

"What about them?" Kaji asked. "Three of them live with Katsuragi, and the other one is quite safely guarded at her own apartment in Old Hakone."

"It involves my son and Ms. Soryu." Gendo said.

"Ah, so you see it too." Kaji said.

"Yes, I fear that the meeting they had as children will come to light soon." Gendo explained. "I am not against this, as this is something both their mothers would have wanted, however considering the current state of things…"

"You mean the imminent threat of death by Angels?" Kaji asked.

"Precisely." Gendo replied. "I do not wish for Shinji to fall into despair if she dies. I have suffered that fate myself, something both of you are aware of."

"How did Kaji find out?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"How else?" Kaji said. "By accident, when I found out what was in the Cores of those Evangelions, I was quite stunned to say the least, and Mari… well that's an entirely different story, _Professor_ Fuyutsuki."

"You know about… Mari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Of course… I did some digging on the Proto Child in the U.K. after Unit–XP showed up." Kaji said. "Then the discoveries led back to Kyoto University in the late 90s, which led to you, Jushiro Kyoraku, and a Gendo _Rokubungi_ , and those three girls being your students. I was surprised how much information survived Second Impact, but I destroyed the evidence trail, or at least smudged it up a bit to make any other research into the subject a bit harder."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"To protect Shinji and the others." Kaji said. "Plus, I think Mari suffered enough being displaced in time by that little incident with Unit–XP's Core."

"Quite…" Fuyutsuki said in a state of shock.

"Well, I'm not surprised." Kaji said. "Although, the link to Gendo and Yui is quite difficult without anything to go on."

"Well, Project Alcion and its files have been purged to keep anyone else from prying." Kaji said. "It's simply safer that way."

"Enough on that, Kaji." Gendo said. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. Your new assignment is to look after the pilots when Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi is unable to. However your priority should be Shinji."

"Why him?" Kaji asked.

"Because, he is very important as a pilot, his sync scores show he is close to gaining full control over his EVA, and if the incident with Sahaquiel showed us anything it was that he is quite powerful when he is determined to protect his friends." Gendo said.

"So, just keep tabs on him, and talk to him?" Kaji asked.

"Yes, Kaji, that should be agreeable." Gendo said.

"Well, it's something I'm glad I'll get paid for." Kaji said. "He's a good kid."

"But why does it matter about Shinji and Asuka?" Fuyutsuki asked.

It matters because I do not want them to become a target of SEELE or their cronies." Gendo explained. "I believe those children suffered enough with the loss of their mothers. And while both loses were tragic, Asuka I believe had it far worse, and abusive father and a mother she found bleeding all over the place, dead from her own insanity. They need to be protected, and Kaji is the man for the job. He will blend in quite well, as he knows all of them, unlike Yamada, who always sticks to the shadows."

"So, boss, is there anything else?" Kaji asked.

"No, you are dismissed, Kaji." Gendo said.

"Right–o!" Kaji said. "I think I'll go pick up Shinji at school… should be a nice change for him, maybe even talk to him a bit."

"I'm glad you're taking this seriously, Kaji." Fuyutsuki said.

"I take everything seriously, Sub–Commander." Kaji replied. "However, I keep up a happy disposition in spite of anything I've witnessed, it's just easier that way."

As Kaji left, Fuyutsuki turned to Gendo. "Why did you let him find out?"

"It was not a matter of letting him, it was a matter of seeing if he could." Gendo explained. "I told him to clean out all the Alcion files after Mari returned, and then he found out about a Mari from the files, and put two and two together. At least he found out and not someone else more rash, such as Katsuragi or Akagi. Those two would be unpredictable with such news, whereas Kaji, he'll cover it up to protect Shinji and Asuka from harm. He may be a spy, but his heat is certainly purer than either of ours."

"Why not simply lie to him?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Well, he researched it as far as he could, and found the old Kyoto files himself, which led to the rest of us." Gendo explained. "Then he figured out the real reason why the kids can sync with the Evangelions."

"But does he know about Rei?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Fortunately no, that secret is quite safe." Gendo said. "He could not find any files on Rei, as she does not exist. He assumes her mother inhabits Unit–00, like Yui and Kyoko inhabit Unit–01 and Unit–02."

"Isn't he a liability?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No, he, like Mari, will never intentionally hurt Shinji or Asuka." Gendo said.

"So he's not a liability." Fuyutsuki said.

"Precisely." Gendo replied.

"So, why do you really care about Shinji and Asuka?" Fuyutsuki said.

"Like I said, I believe the memories of their first meeting will come to light." Gendo said.

"Ikari, I'm not Kaji, you can't lie to me about this." Fuyutsuki said. "Admit it, you're glad for Shinji."

"I am simply glad that Yui's wish is going to true." Gendo said. "She would constantly talk about how wonderful it would be if Shinji and Asuka were to fall in love." Gendo sighed. "Perhaps it's fitting that they may actually fall in love, it would be nice to see some good come back to this dark and desolate world."

"What happens if they do start to date?" Fuyutsuki asked. "You know, what contingencies do you have?"

"We shift priorities to protect her from harm in order to make sure Shinji does his part when the time comes." Gendo said. "That is if they realize their deep seated feelings for each other from that day."

"Do you really think they fell in love that day?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I saw the security footage of them together." Gendo said. "They had the same look for each other that me and Yui had so long ago."

"So, you're sure then." Fuyutsuki said.

"I'm as sure as anyone can be." Gendo said. "And I know personally that those feelings never disappear."

–––

Kaji pulled up to the school gates in his red Ferrari. A short distance away he could see the school situated on its rolling lawns.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

A few minutes after hearing the bell, Kaji saw students starting to file slowly but happily out of the school.

"Brings back memories…" Kaji said as he looked for the right group of kids who emerged a few minutes. He noticed them at a distance thanks to two things, a striking redheaded girl that seemed to be berating several people, and the confirmation of a pale blue head of hair that told Kaji this was group he was looking for.

Kaji got out of his car and leaned against the passenger door as the kids approached, where he noticed that they were not in their uniforms, but in shorts and t–shirts, and he finally heard what Asuka was yelling about.

"Why the hell would you mix that shit together?" Asuka shouted.

"I thought we went over this." Kensuke said. "It was for fun, we didn't realize it would make that much of a mess…"

"Who's we, I didn't have nothing to do with this disaster!" Toji said.

"Fine, I didn't think it would be a big deal…" Kensuke said.

"We're not done going over thing until I find out why you thought it was smart to spray the entire classroom with soda!" Hikari shouted.

"You ruined my hair, soaked my wonderful lunch with shit, and got me all covered in _diet fucking Coke_!" Asuka shouted.

"You make it sound as if you hate diet soda…" Kensuke said innocently.

"Of course I do!" Asuka shouted. "It tastes like shit!"

"I hate diet soda… it tastes funny, and it burns your eyes…" Shinji uttered.

"Yeah, what made you think that was a smart plan?" Mari said. "You must have seen the videos online about what Mentos do to soda…"

"Well yeah, that's where I got the idea!" Kensuke said as he was given a dirty look by everyone. "Oh… right… oops…"

"Yeah, nice move moron…" Mari said, glaring at them. "You even made usually have to clean up the classroom, like a bunch of idiots."

"Well, at least no one had to stay after to clean up." Toji said. "So no harm done, I guess."

"Yeah, we'll see how much fun Kensuke has when he's on clean up duty for the next two weeks, alone!" Hikari spat.

"Hey, Hikari… take it easy, he can't do all that work on his own." Toji said. "I'll stay with him to help out, so sign me up too."

"Why, Toji?" Hikari asked.

"I'm nice like that." Toji said proudly. "That and I should have stopped him, but we haven't been hanging out much lately."

"Well, you have your sister to worry about…" Kensuke said.

"Yeah, she mentioned that you haven't been stopping by as often, pal." Toji said. "Anything wrong?"

"No, just busy…" Kensuke said.

"Well, maybe you come with me to see her today." Toji said. "She likes when you stop by, don't know why, but she does."

"Yeah…" Kensuke said.

"I'll come too." Hikari added. "But you're still in deep trouble, Kensuke."

"Yeah, I know." Kensuke said sullenly.

"And what do idiots say when they're in deep shit?" Asuka asked angrily.

"They say sorry?" Kensuke asked.

"Son of a bitch, that wasn't a question, it was a rhetorical statement!" Asuka shouted.

"And I gave you a rhetorical answer." Kensuke joked.

"Kensuke, run…" Shinji said.

"Calm down princess…" Amir said worriedly. "There's no need for…"

"Oh, no, there is every need…" Asuka muttered as she moved swiftly for Kensuke, knocking him into the grass.

"Not the face!" Kensuke screamed.

"Asuka, stop!" Hikari screamed.

"Asuka, you're going to hurt him!" Shinji said.

"Well, it's nice to see everyone getting along so well." Kaji said from the car.

"Kaji?" Shinji said.

Asuka turned from Kensuke, who she had firmly underneath her on the ground. "Kaji!" Asuka said happily getting off of Kensuke. "It's been so long!"

"Glad to see you're being yourself, Asuka." Kaji said.

"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, just driving through…" Kaji said nonchalantly. "Figured I'd come to see how you're all doing."

"Well, I'm fine, Kaji." Asuka said. "I mean, we haven't had to fight an Angel in a while…"

"Yeah, we're all still breathing and shit." Mari joked.

"What about your friends?" Kaji asked. "I haven't seen you all since our time on the _Over the Rainbow_ last year."

"Oh, we're fine, Mr. Kaji." Hikari said. "Nice to see you again."

"Yeah, I'm good…" Kensuke said as Toji helped him up.

"And how are you, Rei?" Kaji asked.

"I am adequate." Rei replied. "I wish I was not wearing these clothes however."

"I'm guessing it had something to do with the argument I overheard and why you were beating on Aida there." Kaji said.

"Yeah, pretty much." Asuka replied.

"So, what are you doing here?" Mari asked.

"Oh… right." Kaji said. "I came to offer Shinji a nice little drive. I figured he could use some time away from the apartment. Maybe not have to do all the chores."

"Yeah, but he likes doing all that." Asuka said.

"Asuka, I think you could clean the apartment sometimes." Kaji said disapprovingly. "It's not beneath you as you like to think."

Asuka grimaced and Mari smiled. "Yeah, we'll have the apartment clean when he gets home. Shouldn't be too hard."

Kaji smiled. "Well, just don't try to cook anything."

"How did you…" Asuka grumbled.

"Katsuragi told me." Kaji replied. "I hear it was quite the scene."

"You have no idea…" Asuka muttered.

"Anyway, com on Shinji, let's hit the road." Kaji said.

"Does Misato know about this?" Shinji asked.

"Does she need to?" Kaji replied as he went to the car.

"I guess not…" Shinji said as followed Kaji. "Well, I guess I'll see you all later. Asuka, Mari, please don't burn down the apartment."

"How?!" Asuka shouted.

"Princess, it's a valid request, considering…" Mari said. "We'll do our best, puppy."

"Yeah, I'll be extra careful." Asuka said.

"Good, thanks you two." Shinji said as he got in the car.

"Bye, puppy, see you later!" Mari said.

"Later Shinji." Toji said.

"Be careful, Shinji." Hikari said. "And drive safely Mr. Kaji."

"Later, baka." Asuka said.

"See you tomorrow, Shinji." Rei said.

"Bye Shinji, have fun." Kensuke said.

Kaji turned over the engine and shifted into gear. "Buckle up, Shinji."

Shinji buckled in as Kaji put on his sunglasses. "All set."

"Let's ride." Kaji said as he sped off towards the outskirts of the city.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, with Shinji simply taking in the views as Kaji sped along the highway. Shinji looked over to Tokyo–3, it looked magnificent at a distance, its buildings all shining in the sunlight.

"What are ya thinking about?" Kaji asked.

"I'm not really thinking about anything." Shinji said.

"Well, you're looking pretty intently at the city." Kaji said.

"It's just… I help defend that place…" Shinji said. "It's weird to think about sometimes."

"Why are you surprised?" Kaji asked.

"Well, if you would have asked me a year ago what I'd be doing now, I would have said that I'd just want to be alone, away from people." Shinji explained. "But here I am, in a new city, with a new school, and friends… not just a friend, but six wonderful friends… and I even have a job too, one that puts me against giant monsters from inside the cockpit of another giant monster. I mean, I'm even… uh… it's not anything like how I expected my life would be right now."

"Why are you surprised you have friends?" Kaji asked.

"I've never really had them before." Shinji said. "I had one a long time ago, but I can't even remember their name…"

"Well, sometimes that happens, Shinji." Kaji sad. "You can't remember everything that happens to you as a child."

"I guess…" Shinji said as he looked at Kaji. "Kaji, why the sudden interest in me?"

"Huh?" Kaji said. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you picked me up from school. I mean, we haven't really talked all that much." Shinji said. "At least not since you brought Misato home that night."

"Well, I've been out on assignment all over the world, Shinji." Kaji explained. "If I had been her, I'd definitely have been around more."

"So this isn't just some random thing?" Shinji asked.

"No, I've wanted to do this for a while, Shinji. I just wish I hadn't been as busy as I was, then we could have hung out more." Kaji said. "Plus, considering your father seems… disinterested in your well–being or development, you need some male figure in your life. Who better than me?"

"I don't know." Shinji said bluntly. "I've never really thought about it. Ever since I left sensei's to come here, I haven't been around any kind of father figure."

Kaji chuckled. "You know, you remind me of someone I know."

"Who?" Shinji asked.

"My younger brother, Taichi." Kaji said. "You have that whole sweet and innocent thing down, even though you deal with death all the time from the Angels, you're still an innocent kid."

"Where's your little brother now?" Shinji asked innocently.

"Oh, he died during Second Impact…" Kaji said and then he heard Shinji gasp. "Hey, don't worry, you didn't know."

"Still, I'm sorry…" Shinji said.

"Why are you sorry, Shinji?" Kaji asked. "You didn't cause Second Impact, did you?"

"No, I'm just sorry for bringing it up." Shinji said.

"I said not to worry about it Shinji." Kaji said.

"If you say so." Shinji said.

Kaji smiled. "So, with all this change in your life, have you fallen in love or anything?"

"Well… yeah…" Shinji said.

"Is it that girl, Mari?" Kaji asked. "She seems nice."

"Yeah, Mari is nice, but it's not her." Shinji said. "Mari's just my best friend… I don't get why everyone thinks we're a couple…"

"Well, you look cute together." Kaji said. "So, if it's not her, who is it?"

"Well… it's Asuka." Shinji said. "I love Asuka."

"That's a pretty strong statement Shinji, you sound quite sure of yourself." Kaji said, smirking slightly.

"I am sure." Shinji said. "She just makes me feel happy…"

"So, is this that complicated stuff you told me about when I dropped Misato off last month?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, it's that complicated stuff I mentioned…" Shinji replied.

"What's so complicated about it?" Kaji asked. "Have you told her yet?"

"No, I'm too afraid to." Shinji said. "I don't think she likes me like that, because she's always so… well… difficult to read I guess, and I don't want to lose her friendship if things don't go well either… I mean we kissed, and then she went all cold on me for a while…"

"You kissed?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, she said she was bred, and asked if I had before, I told her I had, and she got all angry, and then we kissed… and it was the most wonderful sensation in the world." Shinji said. "I felt like I was flying or something. Then Mari came home and saw us, and Asuka ran off to her room and when I tried to talk to her, she just slammed the door in my face. It took her two weeks before she really spoke to me again."

"But she apologized right?" Kaji asked. "After the few weeks?"

"Yeah, but how did you know…" Shinji asked.

"Well, Asuka only apologizes when she knows she messed up big time. She only apologizes to people she really cares about." Kaji explained. "It's how you can tell she really has a vested interest in someone. But when she's being cold and distant, it's just the other side of her personality, so don't take it personally, she treats everyone that way as a matter of course. It's just her defense mechanism to keep from getting hurt by anyone, she had a rough childhood to say the least, so you can't really blame her."

"I figured as much, but still… I don't know how she'd react to me asking her out." Shinji said. "I mean, some days I think she likes me, and others… it's like she'd rather be alone."

"Shinji, I can understand you're nervous." Kaji said. "But sometimes you just have to ask that girl out you like and accept the consequences if it doesn't go well. It's part of life."

"So, then why have you avoided asking Misato out?" Shinji asked.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that." Kaji said. "We dated in college, and it didn't end so great."

"Then why does she have you picture on her nightstand?" Shinji asked.

"How do you know that?" Kaji asked.

"All those times I have to wake her up for work." Shinji said. "She must still like you if your picture is in her room."

Kaji smiled. "Well, then it looks like we both have women to ask out. But you're not wrong, it's going to take a lot of courage." Kaji glanced over at Shinji. "Just remember, you fight Angels, asking a girl out should be pretty easy for you."

"You say that, but, I think the Angels are an easier thing to face, at least you know how they feel about you." Shinji said.

"Touché, Shinji." Kaji replied. "Women are far more mysterious in how they think. They are very nuanced in their actions too."

"I don't think they are." Shinji said quietly. "I just think they're as clueless about us as we are about them."

"So basically, what we have is a failure to communicate?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Shinji said. "Neither side wants to be the first to ask, so we all just stay in the dark. It's kind of sad really, we just say it's a mystery because we're all afraid to ask."

Kaji looked stunned. "Well, hearing it like that does make a lot sense…"

"Just like me, everyone's afraid to truly know one another." Shinji said.

"It's a human limitation, Shinji, nothing else." Kaji said. "The closest thing to truly knowing someone is to fall madly in love and spend the rest of your life with a person."

"I'd like that someday." Shinji said.

"Hey, I'm sure Asuka will figure out you like her, she's a smart girl." Kaji said.

"I just hope it doesn't take too long." Shinji said.

Kaji slammed the brakes, pulled the e brake and pulled off a drifting U–turn, which caused Shinji to almost shit himself.

"What the hell was that?!" Shinji asked.

"Turning around." Kaji grinned. "I figured instead of worrying about when Asuka will catch a hint, why don't we go get some food and talk some more."

* * *

May 12, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

As was the group's custom, they all met up at least once a week at Misato's apartment for Shinji to cook them a wonderful breakfast. Shinji didn't really mind, as he liked having his friends over, and it usually gave them a bunch of leftovers for a few more days, making Shinji's life a bit easier in the mornings overall. It was also usually the day they all arrived to school early, as they didn't have to rush.

This particular Thursday morning, as the gang filed into the kitchen, Misato, quite uncharacteristically was already wake an dressed for work. As they were all sitting or standing around the table, and eating happily what had been prepared for them, at Asuka's insistence: eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, French toast, and strawberries.

"Damn, Shinji, this is some good shit!" Toji said happily as he chowed down on his food.

"Yeah, why did you make all this?" Kensuke asked. "It's usually a lot less food than this, and certainly not as heavy."

"I told him to." Asuka said proudly. "I wanted a lot of food, so I asked him to make all this."

"I just wish he would have let me help…" Hikari said.

"Hikari, I told you, I don't mind cooking on my own." Shinji replied. "Besides, you're our guest, I can't have you doing the cooking."

"Nonsense, you should let me help." Hikari said. "I love cooking as much as you do."

"Well, however much foo it is, he did a great job too…" Misato said with a mouthful of half chewed hash browns.

Mari swallowed her mouthful of strawberries. "Miso, what did I tell you about talking with your mouth full?"

"Shut up Mari, you're not the boss me." Misato said, sticking her tongue out.

"Well, someone needs to act mature around here." Mari quipped. "You certainly don't…"

"I'm mature!" Misato retorted.

"Yeah, and monkeys don't throw their shit at people." Shinji said.

"Now that's a comeback…" Asuka said.

"Nice one puppy." Mari said.

"Are you three implying I'm not mature?" Misato asked.

"Well, considering Asuka and Mari actually clean their room, then yes, I'm implying you're not mature." Shinji smirked while Asuka and Mari stifled their giggles.

"Actually, Shinji did everything but explicitly say you are not mature." Rei explained. "And you certainly have several childlike qualities, such as your tendency to oversleep or otherwise not be motivated to clean or assist with any house work, almost like the stereotypical teenager."

"I…" Misato stammered. "I'm not… I do things! I work!"

"Yeah, I don't think of what you do as work, Misato." Asuka said. "You watch us all do sync tests. We only ever work when we fight an Angel, you included."

"I do a lot more than that, Asuka." Misato said.

"Yeah, clearly she does, seeing as she got promoted recently." Kensuke said.

"Say what?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, promoted." Kensuke replied. "She has three silver bars on her jacket instead of two, which means she's a Lieutenant Colonel now. Didn't you guys notice?"

"No." Shinji said.

"Not really." Asuka replied. "She didn't mention anything."

"I just thought those bars were a shiny decoration." Mari joked.

"But you live _and_ work with her, how could you not notice?" Kensuke asked.

"It's no big deal really." Misato said.

"How did you even notice?" Hikari asked.

"I just see these things that's all…" Kensuke said.

"It's just your thing, buddy." Toji said. "I'm glad it has its practical uses."

"Thanks Toji." Kensuke said happily.

"Well, thank you for noticing." Misato said. "But I'm not kidding, it's no big deal."

"But it is!" Kensuke said emphatically. "This kind of thing deserves a celebration!"

"PARTY!" Mari shouted. "I love parties!"

"Yeah, we can tell." Asuka said.

"So, were should we take you?" Kensuke asked.

Mari's hand shot up. "I know! I know!"

"Mari, I know what you're going to suggest." Shinji said.

"Oh yeah?" Mari asked.

Shinji grinned. "Karaoke."

"Lucky guess puppy…" Mari muttered.

"So, we're finally going to that karaoke place you two always chat about." Asuka said.

"I cannot wait to go." Rei replied. "I was hoping to go soon, as I wish to attempt the karaoke."

"Well, the rules are we all sing one song, and eat as much as you can without killing yourself." Mari explained.

"So we'd need reservations for eight then." Hikari said.

"No, nine." Shinji replied.

"Why nine?" Misato asked. "Is Ritsuko coming? She's not exactly one for parties."

"Hell no, she can go darken someone else's doorstep after that last stunt of hers." Mari said.

"I hope she chokes on a dick and dies." Asuka said angrily. "That is if anyone will have her of course."

"Asuka!" Misato said. "That want very nice."

"Well, the truth hurts sometimes, don't it?" Asuka quipped.

"Well… yeah… point taken." Misato said. "She can be quite… um… standoffish with people at times."

"Anyway!" Shinji said loudly. "The ninth seat isn't for Dr. Akagi, it's for Kaji."

"Why him?" Misato asked.

"He's a nice guy, and I know you two are friends." Shinji said. "He should be there."

"Do I have a choice?" Misato asked.

"No, not at all." Shinji said.

"Wonderful…" Misato mumbled. "So, when is this party?"

"After school, Saturday!" Mari said excitedly. "I honestly can't wait!"

* * *

May 14, 2016 – Wonderful Karaoke Buffet and Bar, Tokyo–3

The gang walked directly from school to the karaoke bar, with Mari proudly and happily leading the way. Everyone else was having trouble keeping up with her, as she was walking extremely fast. After Asuka shouted for Mari to slow down, the rest of the walk was far more enjoyable, and they all arrived before the two adults showed up.

As they went inside, they noticed it was quite busy being a Saturday evening. However the others were simply amazed by the large buffet, which they had only sampled at Mari's birthday party. Toji's eyes were like saucers.

"Holy shit, this place is awesome!" Toji exclaimed. "Look at all that grub!"

"II know, I can't wait to eat as much as I can without exploding!" Kensuke said happily. "Mari this was a really great idea for a venue."

"Don't mention it." Mari said, feigning embarrassment. "It's the least we can do for Misato, considering she lets us live with her."

"Well, she's lucky to have all three of you." Hikari said. "She's got three wonderful kids."

"I don't she sees us as her kids." Asuka huffed.

"Princess, be nice." Mari said.

"I think she does see us that way… just not in the traditional sense." Shinji said. "I mean, she's not the greatest parent in the world, but she does try, even though she seems to not know what a parent should be like."

"That's really nice of you to say, Shinji." Hikari said. "At least you notice she tries."

"How are you so oblivious about some things, yet you pull shit like this out of your ass?" Asuka asked.

"Oblivious about what?" Shinji asked.

"Oh… never mind." Asuka said. "Baka…"

"Oh, look the married couple…" Toji joked, but his ear got tugged by Hikari.

"Don't start any trouble, you." Hikari said. "We don't need them fighting."

"Yeah, jock, it's a party, not a funeral." Mari joked.

"Fine, I'll leave it alone…" Toji said. "And don't do that again, Hikari, that ain't nice!"

"Funny, it got you to stop being dumb for a minute." Asuka quipped.

"Asuka, leave him alone." Shinji said.

"Fine…" Asuka said, rolling her eyes. "You're no fun, baka."

"Hello and welcome to the Wonderful Karaoke Buffet and Bar." The hostess said. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yeah, a table for nine under Ikari." Shinji said.

"Follow me please." The hostess replied.

"I'll meet you guys at the table." Mari said.

"Ok, see you in a few." Shinji replied as they separated.

The gang were led to their table by the hostess, who Shinji told to be on the lookout or the other two in their party. Mari arrived a few minutes after them, and settled herself into the large booth. Just as everyone was flipping through the song collection, and excitedly chattering about what food to grab, Misato and Kaji showed up and happily joined them.

"So, this is the place Shinji and Mari go hang out at alone." Misato said. "It's nice."

"That, and the food is fantastic!" Mari said excitedly. "I already put everyone down to sing too, that way you can't get out of it!"

"Wait, what?" Asuka asked.

"So, that's what you did when you disappeared." Shinji said.

"Yep, I told the KJ to call us all up in the order I gave him. It'll be a couple minutes though." Mari explained. "There was already a line of people waiting to go, so just relax, it won't be that bad. Just choose a song and give it your best shot."

"I hope I'm not first, I want to get some of that damn good food." Toji said.

"It's not you who's first, jock." Mari said as she smiled widely. "It's freckles."

"Wait, I'm first?" Hikari said. "I'm not… I can't go first!"

"Hikari, it's not so bad." Shinji said. "It's actually really fun. Just go up there and give it your all."

"Yeah, Hikari, Shinji's right, you'll be fine." Toji said.

"You really think so?" Hikari asked.

"I know so." Toji replied.

As the group got some food and brought it back to the table, Hikari's name came over the loud speakers.

"Oh… I'm not ready…" Hikari mumbled. "There are so many people…"

Toji was standing next to her and leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Then just sing the song for me and no one else."

Hikari blushed and nodded. She then walked nervously to the stage. It took Hikari a minute to choose the song she wanted, but when she did, she thought it was a song that she thought she could sing well enough and told the KJ play the music.

**♪You think I'm pretty**   
**Without any make–up on**   
**You think I'm funny**   
**When I tell the punch line wrong**   
**I know you get me**   
**So I let the walls come down, down**

**Before you met me**   
**I was alright, but things**   
**Were kinda heavy**   
**You brought me to life**   
**Now every February**   
**You'll be my Valentine, Valentine**

**Let's go all the way tonight**   
**No regrets, just love**   
**We can dance until we die**   
**You and I, we'll be young forever**

**You make me**   
**Feel like I'm a living a**   
**Teenage dream**   
**The way you turn me on**

**I can't Sleep**   
**Let's run away**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**My heart stops**   
**When you look at me**   
**Just one touch**   
**Now baby I believe**   
**This is real**   
**So take a chance**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**We drove to Cali**   
**And got drunk on the beach**   
**Got a motel**   
**And built a fort out of sheets**   
**I finally found you**   
**My missing puzzlepiece**

**I'm complete**

**Let's go all the way tonight**   
**No regrets, just love**   
**We can dance until we die**   
**You and I, we'll be young forever**

**You make me**   
**Feel like I'm a living a**   
**Teenage dream**   
**The way you turn me on**   
**I can't sleep**   
**Let's run away**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**My heart stops**   
**When you look at me**   
**Just one touch**   
**Now baby I believe**   
**This is real**   
**So take a chance**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**I'ma get your heart racing**   
**In my skin–tight jeans**   
**Be your teenage dream tonight**   
**Let you put your hands on me**   
**In my skin–tight jeans**   
**Be your teenage dream tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight,**

**Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight**

**'Cause you make me**   
**Feel like I'm a living a**   
**Teenage dream**   
**The way you turn me on**   
**I can't sleep**   
**Let's run away**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**My heart stops**   
**When you look at me**   
**Just one touch**   
**Now baby I believe**   
**This is real**   
**So take a chance**   
**And don't ever look back**   
**Don't ever look back**

**I'ma get your heart racing**   
**In my skin–tight jeans**   
**Be your teenage dream tonight**   
**Let you put your hands on me**   
**In my skin–tight jeans**   
**Be your teenage dream tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight,**

**Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight** **♪**

Hikari garnered a fairly good applause from the audience, and happily went back to sit down and was greeted by the smiling faces of everyone at the table.

"I was so nervous!" Hikari said.

"Why, you did great!" Asuka said.

"Yeah, I'm impressed, Hikari." Toji said a she winked. "I hope you'll sing more later on."

"Thanks Toji…" Hikari mumbled as she blushed again.

"So, who's next?" Kaji asked.

"Oh, I think it's the puppy." Mari said. "Ready to go yet?"

"Yeah, just a sec." Shinji said as he flipped through the program. "Yeah, here's the song. I think I can sing this one."

"Is it a new one?" Mari asked. "I told you, you can't repeat any songs."

"Yeah, it's a new one I haven't sung before, just relax."

Mari stuck out her tongue.

"Well, get moving, let's see you sing like you mean it." Misato said.

"Yeah, I'm going." Shinji replied as he walked calmly to the stage. The KJ greeted him warmly and Shinji told him is song choice, and the KJ queued it up.

"Alright then, let's go." Shinji said as the music started to play.

**♪Paper bags and plastic hearts**  
**All are belongings in shopping carts**  
**It's goodbye**  
**But we got one more night**  
**Let's get drunk and ride around**  
**And make peace with an empty town**  
**We can make it right**

**Throw it away**  
**Forget yesterday**  
**We'll make the great escape**  
**We won't hear a word they say**  
**They don't know us anyway**  
**Watch it burn**  
**Let it die**  
**Cause we are finally free tonight**

**Tonight will change our lives**  
**It's so good to be by your side**  
**We'll cry**  
**We won't give up the fight**  
**We'll scream loud at the top of our lungs**  
**And they'll think it's just cause we're young**  
**And we'll feel so alive**

**Throw it away**  
**Forget yesterday**  
**We'll make the great escape**  
**We won't hear a word they say**  
**They don't know us anyway**  
**Watch it burn**  
**Let it die**  
**Cause we are finally free tonight**

**All of the wasted time**  
**The hours that were left behind**  
**The answers that we'll never find**  
**They don't mean a thing tonight**

**Throw it away**  
**Forget yesterday**  
**We'll make the great escape**  
**We won't hear a word they say**  
**They don't know us anyway**

**Throw it away**  
**Forget yesterday**  
**We'll make the great escape**  
**We won't hear a word they say**  
**They don't know us anyway**

**Throw it away**  
**Forget yesterday**  
**We'll make the great escape**  
**We won't hear a word they say**  
**They don't know us anyway**  
**Watch it burn**  
**Let it die**  
**Cause we are finally free tonight♪**

Shinji got a loud round of applause, and happily walked back to the table where everyone was sitting.

"That was really awesome Shinji!" Asuka said proudly. "I didn't know you could sing!"

"Yeah you were great!" Toji exclaimed, his face covered in food. "You practice a lot!"

"I didn't know you could sing that well…" Misato said. "Good for you."

"Great job, Shinji." Kaji said. "It's nice to have a talent, isn't it?"

"Thanks everyone." Shinji said happily as she sat down next to Hikari.

"So, Shinji, you're some kind of pop star then?" Hikari joked.

"No, I'm not, Hikari." Shinji said, pushing her playfully.

"Well, I'm surprised." Mari said. "Usually with a performance that good, panties start to fly at the stage. I should have chucked mine up there, puppy, for encouragement."

"He doesn't need your brand of encouragement." Asuka said. "Or your dirty panties."

"Hey, Shinji already know what our panties look like, princess." Mari said loudly. "He does our laundry, and miso's too, so it's not like he'd be shocked at my panties."

"You mean all the see through lace?" Asuka said.

"So, you do peek, princess, I'm impressed." Mari said. "Like what you saw?"

"I'm so gonna kick your ass…" Asuka threatened, but she was stopped by Shinji grabbing the back of her shirt. "Hey, let go baka!"

"No!" Shinji said threateningly. "Sit down Asuka."

"But…" Asuka said sullenly.

"Listen to the puppy, princess…" Mari purred.

"Asuka, Mari, enough!" Shinji said loudly. "We're in public at a party for Misato, save it till we get home!"

"Fine…" Asuka said.

"Sorry puppy, sorry miso…" Mari said quietly.

"I believe I heard my name while you were all arguing, I will go up on stage now." Rei said. "I believe the song I chose will be a good choice."

"Oh, yeah, blueberry's next!" Mari said happily. "Break a leg, blueberry."

"I would wish not to, it hurts quite severely when that happens." Rei replied.

"Rei, it a figure of speech meaning good luck." Hikari explained.

Rei smiled. "Oh, well then… I will go and… break a leg."

Rei walked up to the stage and spoke to the KJ, he took her song choice and pulled it up. After Rei tapped the microphone a few times to see that it worked, motioned the KJ to begin the song.

**♪I'm so tired of being here**  
**Suppressed by all my childish fears**  
**And if you have to leave**  
**I wish that you would just leave**  
**'Cause your presence still lingers here**  
**And it won't leave me alone**

**These wounds won't seem to heal**  
**This pain is just too real**  
**There's just too much that time cannot erase**

**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**  
**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**  
**And I held your hand through all of these years**  
**But you still have all of me**

**You used to captivate me by your resonating light**  
**Now I'm bound by the life you left behind**  
**Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams**  
**Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me**

**These wounds won't seem to heal**  
**This pain is just too real**  
**There's just too much that time cannot erase**

**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**  
**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**  
**And I held your hand through all of these years**  
**But you still have all of me**

**I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone**  
**But though you're still with me**  
**I've been alone all along**

**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**  
**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**  
**And I held your hand through all of these years**  
**But you still have all of me**  
**All of me… All of me…♪**

Rei got a nice bunch of clapping from the audience and gracefully returned to the table. She was greeted with teary faces, and a large hug from Mari.

"Blueberry, why did you choose such a sad song?" Mari sobbed.

"It is how I felt." Rei replied. "I simply did as you suggested and chose a song that fit me as a person. Did I do it wrong?"

"No, you did fine, wundergirl." Asuka said. "But we didn't know you felt like that."

"Yeah, who in your life did you love?" Kaji asked.

Rei lied for the first time in her life. "I lost… a sister. She died long ago, with my parents…"

"Oh…" Kaji said. 'That's not in your file, Rei. I guess I'll have to dig deeper.' Kaji thought.

Mari hugged her tighter. "Oh, blueberry, I'm sorry you lost a sister… were you close?"

"Closer than you could ever imagine." Rei said.

"Are you ok, blueberry?" Mari asked.

"I am fine, it was long ago." Rei explained. "But I appreciate your concern, Mari."

"Yeah, no problem…" Mari said.

"So, who's next?" Misato asked. "Is it me?"

"No it's the perv." Mari joked.

"I don't really like that nickname…" Kensuke said. "It's hurtful."

"It's true." Hikari said.

"But…" Kensuke argued.

"Well, I'll come up with a different one, but for now, you're perv." Mari said. "Now get up there and impress us."

"Yeah… I'll try." Kensuke said.

He made his way awkwardly to the stage and looked out at the audience. He was nervous, but asked the KJ to play the song he chose, and he as the piano notes started to play, Kensuke grabbed the mic, and started to sing his heart out.

**♪Just a small town girl**  
**Livin' in a lonely world**  
**She took the midnight train**  
**Goin' anywhere**  
**Just a city boy**  
**Born and raised in South Detroit**  
**He took the midnight train**  
**Goin' anywhere**

**A singer in a smokey room**  
**The smell of wine and cheap perfume**  
**For a smile they can share the night**  
**It goes on and on, and on, and on**

**Strangers waiting**  
**Up and down the boulevard**  
**Their shadows searching**  
**In the night**  
**Streetlight people**  
**Livin' just to find emotion**  
**Hidin' somewhere in the night**

**Workin' hard to get my fill**  
**Everybody wants a thrill**  
**Payin' anything to roll the dice**  
**Just one more time**  
**Some will win**  
**Some will lose**  
**Some were born to sing the blues**  
**Oh, the movie never ends**  
**It goes on and on, and on, and on**

**Strangers waiting**  
**Up and down the boulevard**  
**Their shadows searching**  
**In the night**  
**Streetlight people**  
**Livin' just to find emotion**  
**Hidin' somewhere in the night**

**[Instrumental interlude]♪**

As the guitar solo started, Kensuke began to air guitar like he was a pro as everyone looked on in amazement.

"I am impressed…" Mari said in shocked voice.

"I know, look at those skills…" Toji said. "Maybe he should focus on music and not guns and shit… he might do better."

"He certainly wouldn't come off as weird as he does now." Mari said.

"Mari…" Hikari said.

"What, everyone was thinking it, right?"

"Well… yeah…" Hikari said as everyone else nodded in agreement and the interlude came to a close with Kensuke grabbing the mic again enthusiastically.

**♪[Instrumental interlude]**

**Don't stop believin'**  
**Hold on to that feelin'**  
**Streetlight people**  
**Don't stop believin'**  
**Hold on**  
**Streetlight people**  
**Don't stop believin'**  
**Hold on to that feelin'**  
**Streetlight people♪**

Kensuke held the last note until his voice faltered and then he got a wonderful applause from the audience, and a few whistles from his friends. Kensuke walked back to the table happily, and promptly sat down.

"Nice job, buddy." Toji said, clapping him on the back. "Didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah, that was a… well it was a shock." Mari said. "Nice job though."

"Thanks Mari." Kensuke said. "I'm just glad you guys liked the song."

"Well, it is a bit cliché to sing that song." Kaji said. "But at least you did it well, unlike so many others at weddings and karaoke bars all over the world."

"Thanks, Mr. Kaji!" Kensuke said.

"Hey, just call me Kaji." Kaji said.

"Yeah, he hates being called "Mr. Kaji" he likes saying he's not his dad." Misato said as she sipped a martini.

"Yeah, well, I'm not my father, nor am I married or have kids." Kaji said. "So my last name is my name, no titles please."

"Can do, Kaji!" Toji said happily.

"Don't look so happy, jock." Mari said. "You're next."

"Nice!" Toji said as he jumped up.

"Look at Mr. cocky over here." Asuka said. "I hope he does well, otherwise I'm going to tease the shit out of him."

"Challenge accepted, Asuka." Toji said as he marched towards the stage.

Instead of walking up the stairs to the stage like a normal person, Toji jumped onto the stage and walked up to the KJ, who he was several inches taller than. He told him the song he chose, and a few drumbeats opened the song as Toji tapped his foot and started singing.

**♪I'm packed and I'm holding**  
**I'm smiling, she's living, she's golden**  
**She lives for me, says she lives for me**  
**Ovation, her own motivation**  
**She comes round and she goes down on me**  
**And I make her smile, like a drug for you**  
**Do ever what you wanna do, coming over you**  
**Keep on smiling, what we go through**  
**One stop to the rhythm that divides you**  
**And I speak to you like the chorus to the verse**  
**Chop another line like a coda with a curse**  
**Come on like a freak show takes the stage**  
**We give them the games we play, she said**

**I want something else, to get me through this**  
**Semi–charmed kinda life, baby, baby**  
**I want something else, I'm not listening when you say good–bye**

**The sky was gold, it was rose**  
**I was taking sips of it through my nose**  
**And I wish I could get back there, someplace back there**  
**Smiling in the pictures you would take**  
**Doing crystal myth, will lift you up until you break**  
**It won't stop, I won't come down**  
**I keep stock with the tick–tock rhythm, I bump for the drop**  
**And then I bumped up, I took the hit that I was given**  
**Then I bumped again, then I bumped again**  
**I said**  
**How do I get back there, to the place where I fell asleep inside you**  
**How do I get myself back to the place where you said**

**I want something else, to get me through this**  
**Semi–charmed kinda life, baby, baby**  
**I want something else, I'm not listening when you say good–bye**

**I believe in the sand beneath my toes**  
**The beach gives a feeling, an earthy feeling**  
**I believe in the faith that grows**  
**And the four right chords can make me cry**  
**When I'm with you I feel like I could die**  
**And that would be all right, all right**

**And when the plane came in, she said she was crashing**  
**The velvet it rips in the city, we tripped on the urge to feel alive**  
**Now I'm struggling to survive, those days you were wearing that velvet dress**  
**You're the priestess, I must confess**  
**Those little red panties they pass the test**  
**Slide up around the belly, face down on the mattress**  
**One**  
**And you hold me, and we're broken**

**Still it's all that I wanna do, just a little now**  
**Feel myself, head made of the ground**  
**I'm scared, I'm not coming down**  
**No, no**  
**And I won't run for my life**  
**She's got her jaws now, locked down in a smile**  
**But nothing is all right, all right**

**And I want something else, to get me through this life**  
**Baby, I want something else**  
**Not listening when you say**  
**Good–bye, good–bye, good–bye**  
**Good–bye**

**The sky was gold, it was rose**  
**I was taking sips of it through my nose**  
**And I wish I could get back there**  
**Someplace back there, in the place we used to start**  
**I want something else♪**

Toji bowed to the less than enthusiastic applause and went back to the table. He was greeted with odd stares, and a smirk from Asuka.

"Alright, so it wasn't the best performance of the evening, but it could have been worse." Asuka said.

"What was wrong with it?!" Toji asked angrily. "I sang great!"

"The song choice, basically." Asuka said.

"Really the song wasn't to your liking, red?" Toji asked. "Hikari, Shinji, what did you think of the song?"

"I thought it was a nice song." Hikari said.

"Yeah, it's a good song." Shinji said. "But why did you pick one about drugs and blowjobs?"

"What?!" Hikari and Toji exclaimed.

"Well, yeah, listen to the lyrics… the guy's on crystal meth, whatever the fuck that is and he's getting blowjobs and sex while he's high." Shinji said.

"But the tune is so catchy…" Hikari said.

"Yeah, that's the point." Shinji explained. "It supposed to get past parents wo screen their kids music. It still a good song though."

"Damn, Shinji, why did you have to ruin that for me…" Toji said.

"Still… great song… Toji…" Misato said as she sipped another martini, her fourth.

"Hey, Katsuragi, slow down." Kaji said. "You need to be able to stand when you sing."

"No I don't, I'll just sit on the edge of the stage and sing." Misato said. "But I'm fine, see?" Misato tipped back the rest of the drink. "I'll be fine once I have another."

"Well, you may have picked a shitty song, but I didn't." Asuka said proudly.

"Good timing then, princess, you're next." Mari said.

"What?" Asuka asked.

"You're next, they just called your name." Mari repeated. "Get moving, and impress us with your karaoke skills."

"Yeah, come on Asuka, I'm sure you'll do great." Shinji said kindly. "You're so good at everything you try."

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka said. 'Glad I chose the song I did… maybe he'll catch the hint…' Asuka thought as she walked away from the table.

Asuka got up on stage and proudly walked over to the KJ. She grabbed the microphone and stood dead center on the stage so she was as illuminated and visible as possible.

"Hit it." Asuka said as a guitar strummed twice before Asuka started singing.

**♪According to you**  
**I'm stupid**  
**I'm useless**  
**I can't do anything right**  
**According to you**  
**I'm difficult**  
**Hard to please**  
**Forever changing my mind**  
**I'm a mess in a dress**  
**Can't show up on time**  
**Even if it would save my life**  
**According to you, according to you**

**But according to him**  
**I'm beautiful**  
**Incredible**  
**He can't get me out of his head**  
**According to him**  
**I'm funny**  
**Irresistible**  
**Everything he ever wanted**  
**Everything is opposite**  
**I don't feel like stopping it**  
**So baby tell me what I got to lose**  
**He's into me for everything I'm not**  
**According to you**

**According to you**  
**I'm boring**  
**I'm moody**  
**And you can't take me any place**  
**According to you**  
**I suck at telling jokes cause I always give it away**  
**I'm the girl with the worst attention span**  
**You're the boy who puts up with that**  
**According to you, according to you**

**But according to him**  
**I'm beautiful**  
**Incredible**  
**He can't get me out of his head**  
**According to him**  
**I'm funny**  
**Irresistible**  
**Everything he ever wanted**  
**Everything is opposite**  
**I don't feel like stopping it**  
**So baby tell me what I got to lose**  
**He's into me for everything I'm not**  
**According to you**

**I need to feel appreciated**  
**Like I'm not hated, oh no**  
**Why can't you see me through his eyes?**  
**It's too bad you're making me decide**

**But according to me**  
**You're stupid**  
**You're useless**  
**You can't do anything right**

**But according to him**  
**I'm beautiful,**  
**Incredible,**  
**He can't get me out of his head.**  
**According to him**  
**I'm funny,**  
**Irresistible,**  
**Everything he ever wanted.**  
**Everything is opposite,**  
**I don't feel like stopping it,**  
**Babe I'll tell you what you got to lose**  
**He's into me for everything I'm not**  
**According to you.**

**According to you**  
**I'm stupid**  
**I'm useless**  
**I can't do anything right♪**

Asuka got a thunderous applause from the audience as she gave the microphone back to the KJ and went to sit down. When she got back to the table, she saw everyone's face, but only cared about one, Shinji. HE was smiling from ear to ear and as she sat down, she was hugged by Mari.

"Oh, princess, I should have never doubted our singing ability." Mari said. "All that yelling you do, you clearly have a wonderful set of lungs o sing so well."

"Let go you dummkopf, you're crushing me!" Asuka exclaimed. "But thank you all the same."

"If you really wanted to thank me, you'd let me hug you some more." Mari joked.

"Fine…" Asuka said. "Only if you leave me alone afterwards."

"Done deal." Mari said.

"Asuka that was wonderful." Shinji said. "I really liked the song you chose."

"Thanks Shinji…" Asuka said.

"I mean it Asuka, I was really impressed." Shinji said. "You sang it like you were talking about yourself…"

"Yeah, it almost sounded like you picked it for a reason." Hikari said.

"Or a person." Mari said as she snuggled against Asuka.

"I did not." Asuka said. "I just… like the song."

"Well, whatever the reason she picked it, it as a good choice!" Kaji said enthusiastically.

"So, who's next?" Misato asked. "I'm dying to go up and sing."

"So am I." Kaji said.

"Well, you'll both be happy to know you're next." Mari said.

"Wat, together?" Misato asked.

"No, no, miso first, then scruffy." Mari said. "I'm last of course, cause I wanted everyone else to go first. I'm nice like that."

"Or you didn't know what song to pick." Shinji said.

"Hush, puppy." Mari said. "They don't need to know anything."

"Whatever…" Shinji said. "Have fun Misato."

"So, I'll go up now I guess." Misato said.

"Good luck, Lieutenant Colonel." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, Katsuragi, go blow this song away." Kaji said.

Misato staggered a bit towards the stage, as after having six martinis and a load of food, she wasn't exactly able to walk correctly, especially in heels. She got up to the KJ and told him the song she wanted, and took her place on the stage as an upbeat pop tempo played.

**♪Oh, baby, baby**  
**Oh, baby, baby**

**Oh, baby, baby**  
**How was I supposed to know**  
**That something wasn't right here?**  
**Oh, baby, baby**  
**I shouldn't have let you go**  
**And now you're out of sight, yeah**

**Show me how you want it to be**  
**Tell me, baby,**  
**'Cause I need to know now, oh, because...**

**My loneliness is killing me (and I)**  
**I must confess, I still believe (still believe)**  
**When I'm not with you I lose my mind**  
**Give me a sign**  
**Hit me, baby, one more time**

**Oh, baby, baby**  
**The reason I breathe is you**  
**Boy, you got me blinded**  
**Oh, baby, baby**  
**There's nothing that I wouldn't do**  
**It's not the way I planned it**

**Show me how you want it to be**  
**Tell me, baby,**  
**'Cause I need to know now, oh, because...**

**My loneliness is killing me (and I)**  
**I must confess, I still believe (still believe)**  
**When I'm not with you I lose my mind**  
**Give me a sign**  
**Hit me, baby, one more time**

**Oh, baby, baby**  
**Oh, baby, baby**  
**Ah, yeah, yeah**

**Oh, baby, baby**  
**How was I supposed to know?**  
**Oh, pretty, baby**  
**I shouldn't have let you go**

**I must confess**  
**That my loneliness**  
**Is killing me now**  
**Don't you know I still believe**  
**That you will be here**  
**And give me a sign**  
**Hit me, baby, one more time**

**My loneliness is killing me (and I)**  
**I must confess, I still believe (still believe)**  
**When I'm not with you I lose my mind**  
**Give me a sign**  
**Hit me, baby, one more time**

**I must confess that my loneliness**  
**Is killing me now**  
**Don't you know I still believe**  
**That you will be here**  
**And give me a sign**  
**Hit me, baby, one more time♪**

Misato got a polite applause from the audience and went back to the table. As she got back, she noticed Kaji beaming.

"Wow… that was impressive." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised." Shinji said. "In a good way of course."

"So, still got it, eh Katsuragi?" Kaji asked.

"I never lost it." Misato said. "But I still need to drink to be good at karaoke though…"

"Wait, you can only sing well when you're drunk?" Asuka asked. "What a weirdo you are, Misato…"

"Hey, it's weird, but it works for me." Misato said. "But I need to sit down now, next to one of these two Kaji's…"

"Ok, here you go, Katsuragi." Kaji said, helping her down. "I think you overdid it a bit."

"No I didn't, I rocked the house." Misato said.

"Alright, you did." Kaji said. "Shinji, can you make sure she doesn't drink anymore? She needs to be awake for the cab ride home."

"Yeah, no problem." Shinji said. "Asuka and Mari will help too."

"Sure, whatever." Mari said.

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"Because it's a nice thing to do, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Fine…" Asuka said.

"So, I'm next, be back in a jiffy!" Kaji said brightly.

"Have fun, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Yes, break a leg." Rei said.

Kaji walked and walked over to the stage, where he told the KJ his song choice, and when he told him to start the music, a catchy band tune started up, and Kaji began to sing like Frank Sinatra.

**♪Fly me to the moon**  
**Let me play among the stars**  
**Let me see what spring is like on**  
**A–Jupiter and Mars**  
**In other words, hold my hand**  
**In other words, baby, kiss me**

**Fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more**  
**You are all I long for**  
**All I worship and adore**  
**In other words, please be true**  
**In other words, I love you**

**Fill my heart with song**  
**Let me sing for ever more**  
**You are all I long for, all I worship and adore**  
**In other words, please be true**  
**In other words**  
**In other words**  
**I… love… you…♪**

Even though the song was short, everyone in the audience clapped loudly. Kaji smiled and bowed and left the stage.

As he got back to the table, he saw some puzzled looks, and a smile from Shinji and Asuka.

"What song was that?" Toji asked.

"It sounded familiar." Rei said.

"Oh, just something from a bygone era." Kaji said.

"It's catchy." Mari said. "And for some reason, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling."

"Cause it's a nice song." Shinji said.

"Yeah, it is, it means a lot to a lot of people out there." Kaji said. "In the U.S. during the Space Race, this song was the embodiment of the hopes and dreams of being the first country to land on the moon… an era where anything seemed possible."

"Doesn't anything seem possible now?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, we have the Evangelions, and we survived Second Impact." Kensuke said.

"Life still goes on like it did before Second Impact, so what changed?" Mari asked.

"Well, we may have survived Second Impact, but humanity is a shadow of its former self." Kaji explained. "With the constant threat of the Angels looming over us, opportunities do not seem as boundless as they once did."

"What if we were to defeat all the Angels?" Shinji asked. "Would that fix it?"

"Shinji, I like your idea of that being the only thing to solve." Kaji said. "But things are far more complicated than just Angels and Evangelions. The political landscape has been in constant turmoil since Second Impact, and only the U.N. and its military might are holding things together, or at least keeping up the status quo."

"But will it help?" Shinji asked.

Kaji smiled. "I'm sure it will take away one source of irritation to the world if the threat of third impact is removed."

"Good." Shinji replied.

"Your such an idealist, Shinji." Asuka said.

"Is that a bad thing?" Shinji asked.

"Not really…" Asuka said as she tapped her chin. "It's more endearing than anything else."

"So, enough of this boring talk." Mari said. "I'm up next, so I hope you all enjoy it!"

Mari ran excitedly towards the stage and ran up to the KJ and he greeted her warmly. Mari told him the song she had chosen, and it took him a moment to find, but when he did, Mari took her position on stage and pointed to the KJ.

"Let the music play." Mari said, and the techno beat started.

**♪Like an angel who has forsaken sympathy**  
**Rise up, young boy, and make yourself a legend!**

**Blue skies and beckoning winds**  
**Are trying to open the door of your heart**  
**But you're gazing at me as if you cannot see**  
**You just stand there smiling vacantly**

**Your eyes hold such innocence**  
**You're blind to the fate that will soon come to pass**  
**But it's summoning you with a touch like a sigh**  
**You seek it without knowing why**

**But someday I know that you will be awakened**  
**And your eyes will finally see**  
**These wings on your back are just waiting to guide you –**  
**The future will soon set you free!**

**This cruel thesis, a spiteful angel's litany,**  
**Will soon soar from the window of your destiny**  
**White hot pathos, a desecrated symphony**  
**Stay true to this and don't betray your memory!**  
**Come now, reach out – you must embrace reality**  
**Rise up, young boy, and make yourself a legend!**

**You've slept for ever so long**  
**Embraced in affection and cradled with care**  
**But with morning's approach comes an echoing cry**  
**It tells you to wave your dreams goodbye**

**And the moon is shining above**  
**It wishes to show just how fragile you are**  
**You're so frail and slight in its silvery light;**  
**Our fate is not one we can fight**

**But someday I hope that we'll be reunited**  
**If that is what's destined to be**  
**Perhaps we'll discover that elusive bible**  
**And then we will finally be free!**

**This cruel thesis, a spiteful angel's mockery,**  
**Will bring with it the sorrow of futility**  
**Hold on tightly and do not lose vitality**  
**You must wake up, for now the dream is history!**  
**Come now, reach out – you must embrace humanity**  
**Rise up, young boy, and make yourself a legend!**

**Love is the thread of the story that's woven**  
**Of future and present and past**  
**I may not ever ascend to the heavens**  
**But I know my love will still last**

**This cruel thesis, a spiteful angel's litany,**  
**Will soon soar from the window of your destiny**  
**White hot pathos, a desecrated symphony**  
**Stay true to this and don't betray your memory!**  
**Come now, reach out – you must embrace reality**  
**Rise up, young boy, and make yourself a legend!♪**

Mari got a wonderful applause and went back to the table to see smiles all around.

"So… how was it?" Mari asked.

"Great as usual." Shinji said. "Nice song choice."

"Yes, it was very interesting." Rei said.

"Funny you found a song about angels." Misato said.

"Yeah, considering your job, its ironic, isn't it?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, but I like being ironic." Mari said. "It's fun."

"Mari, you just like pushing boundaries." Shinji quipped.

"And the puppy bites back." Mari said. "You know, I try to break four boundaries every day."

"Yeah, to everyone's annoyance." Toji said.

"I think it's fun to see Mari ease everyone." Hikari said. "She's really good at it."

"Thanks freckles." Mari said.

"Yeah, it was a nice song, like an anime opening." Asuka asked. "Where was it from?"

"Some anime or another." Mari asked. "I can't remember the name of it."

"What's it about?" Asuka asked.

"I dunno, mechs or something?" Mari said.

"Oh my god, plot four eyes, give me plot." Asuka said.

"Well, let's see…" Mari said. "Well, I only remember the broad strokes… it's got psychosocial themes and follows three kids through their battles with alien monsters, and all the kids are fucked in the head, the boy whines, one girl bitches, and the girl's really quiet." Mari snapped her fingers. "Oooh, it also has loads of religious symbolism and is endlessly being analyzed."

"Who has time for that?" Asuka said. "I just want something straightforward and simple to watch, bad guy on one side, good guy on the other, good guy kills bad guy after battle that wrecks half of city. I don't want to think while I watch anime, I want to be entertained."

"Not all anime can be as straightforward as Dragon Ball Z, princess." Mari said. "Some people like deeper meanings to their shows."

"Yeah, Asuka." Shinji said. "Having a plot that goes beyond shit exploding is a nice change of pace. It makes you rethink how you view the world."

"I'm with red on this one." Toji said. "Simple and straightforward I like. Some things are too deep for me to care, which makes them… uh what the word… hard to watch."

"So, just don't watch it then." Hikari said.

"You know, that anime almost sounds like you guys without Mari." Kensuke said.

"What!?" Asuka and Shinji shouted.

"Well, I was only saying it sounded similar…" Kensuke said.

"Well, art does imitate life after all." Kaji said.

"Well isn't most anime about teenagers against forces they can't comprehend?" Hikari asked. "So basically any anime could be an allusion to your life, this one just seems to match a bit closer."

"Yeah, that's pretty much most anime." Shinji said.

"Well, I wouldn't want to watch an anime about some bitchy character anyway." Asuka said. "I bet she gets horribly disfigured at some point to make her more of an outcast for having an opinion, and then the perverted protagonist fixes everything and helps the damsel in distress."

"And then they just end up with like one visible scar or something like an eyepatch." Toji said. "Which just seems pointless, why not leave them uninjured instead of causing all that damage just for it to be fixed."

"Yeah, it's stupid." Asuka said. "Like a waste of emotional moment, just for it to be completely erased."

"You know what's even dumber in anime?" Toji said. "Long time skips with no explanation of anything in between. I mean, I'd really hate having more questions than answers, it kills the whole point of a show."

"I dislike when an anime focuses too much on one character, neglecting the others for a skewed story telling experience." Shinji said. "Focusing on one character when any others could have way more depth would be really detrimental to the overall story."

"Yeah, and some bullshit reason that it's only about that character would be the only reason they give…" Kensuke said.

"I like having more than one main character to focus on." Mari said. "I'll give you that, cause there's always some newer character that gets left out and barely gets screen time, but the fan love them so much."

"Yeah, I can understand that." Kensuke said. "I'd hate to be in the background like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, that would suck." Toji said.

"I would literally kill anyone who tried to take screen time away from me." Asuka said.

"Well, it's better to be partly ignored than forgotten." Kaji said.

"Or completely changed from who you used to be." Misato said.

"Well, aren't some creative decisions for the better?" Hikari asked.

"Some, not all." Shinji said. "Sometimes things get too carried away to make a story different, it still ends up being more of the same, or heavily borrows themes from other anime to make it seem different."

"I do not mean to interrupt, but I believe our discussion about Mari's wonderful song choice has been digressed quite severely." Rei said. "How did we end up on the topic of bad decisions anime creators make?"

"Asuka asked a question." Hikari said. "That's when it sort of broke off."

"It's not like we didn't say anything that didn't need to be said anyway." Mari said.

"Yeah, but, Rei has a point, we did off topic." Shinji said.

"Oh whatever." Mari said. "Who wants to go up and sing again?"

A few of them raised their hands.

"Well, go down to the KJ and get yourself on the list again." Mari said excitedly "As for me, I'm getting more food! Come on, Shinji, you can carry my second plate."

"Mari, remember what happened last time?" Shinji asked.

"Of course I do! I nearly passed out form overeating, I want to do that again!" Mari said.

"Asuka, please help me…" Shinji said as Mari dragged him off.

"Hey, four eyes, why don't you pace yourself and see if you can out eat me!" Asuka said.

"Challenge accepted, princess." Mari said. "Puppy, you're going to be getting our food for us, and we'll eat tot the death."

"Hikari… please help." Shinji pleaded.

"I don't think you can stop them now, Shinji." Hikari said. "They look really determined."

"I know, that's why I'm worried." Shinji said. "I don't want to have to clean the toilet when they throw up."

"Oh, if we get sick, we'll clean it." Mari said.

"Yeah, loser cleans the bathroom for a week!" Asuka said.

"You're so on." Mari said.

"Oh boy…" Shinji mumbled as he followed them to the buffet.

–––

Kaji and Misato were walking behind the kids. Kaji kept eyeing Misato, but she kept avoiding his gaze. Misato had started to sober up, and didn't really want a lecture from Kaji about being dunk in front of all the kids. Finally, Kaji got fed up and went for a direct approach on what he wanted to ask Misato.

"Katsuragi… I was curious about something." Kaji said innocently.

"Whatever it is, no." Misato said.

"Are you sure about that answer, Katsuragi?" Kaji asked.

"Why?" Misato replied back.

"Your song choice got me thinking." Kaji said. "I know you still love me, but do you miss me at all?"

"No, why would I?" Misato said. "It's not like we left each other on the best of terms."

"That doesn't matter." Kaji said. "I told you that I would be there for you in the elevator, even if you didn't want me."

"Well, I don't want you." Misato said defensively.

"Are you sure, Katsuragi?" Kaji asked. "That song doesn't exactly say "I hate you" now does it?"

Misato grimaced. "Why are you so intuitive?"

"It's my nature to notice things that don't add up, Misato." Kaji said. "Plus, we had that wonderful talk on the way back from the wedding."

"Wait, that talk wasn't a dream?" Misato asked.

"No, it wasn't, Misato." Kaji said. "That happened while I carried you on my back."

"So then you already know I still love you…" Misato mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah I do know that already." Kaji replied. "You told me as much while we were walking."

"So, why didn't you bring it up sooner?" Misato asked.

"You've been avoiding me, Misato." Kaji said. "And to be fair, I didn't know how to bring it up that I wanted to try again."

"Wait, you still want to be with me?" Misato asked.

"I never stopped wanting to be with you, Misato." Kaji said.

"Even after I lied to you to make you tell me you loved me." Misato said. "You must love me then… even if you won't say it."

"Now you get it, Misato." Kaji said. "So, would you be willing to give us another shot?"

"I… we can't Kaji." Misato said. "Work has rules…"

"For people in the same department, which we're not." Kaji said. "Trust me, I looked at the rules, and we'd be in the clear."

"Ok… so if we're allowed to, then…" Misato said. "Maybe we could try it this time."

"Under one condition of course." Kaji said.

"What's that?" Misato asked.

"Don't try to force me to say that again." Kaji said. "Let me come to it in my own time. I know it in my heart, but I don't think I'm worthy enough to say the words yet…"

"Because of Taichi." Misato said.

"Yeah." Kaji replied.

"You know, for what it's worth, you didn't kill him." Misato said. "You had no idea they'd go and kill them all. Those soldiers killed him, not you."

"But…" Kaji said.

"No buts, Kaji." Misato said sternly. "But I won't force the issue, cause I'm too tipsy to make a go convincing argument."

"Fair enough." Kaji said.

"So, if you want to go out with me again, we'll just start from scratch, Mr. Kaji." Misato said. "You'll pick me up for dinner tomorrow night, and take me somewhere nice too."

"How about a ramen cart, like our first date?" Kaji asked.

"I'd like that." Misato said. "But for now, let's keep it a secret from them. I don't think they need to know, do they?"

"No, but they'll need to know eventually, especially if I stay the night…" Kaji joked.

"How presumptuous of you!" Misato said

"Well, I remember that week we spent together in college." Kaji said.

"Yeah, so do I…" Misato said. "Maybe we could try some of those positions again. After we catch up on what we've missed."

"Yeah, there's a lot I need to tell you, Misato." Kaji said. "A lot of stuff you need to know."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:

Katy Perry – _Teenage Dream_ (2010) **[Hikari]**  
Boys Like Girls – _The Great Escape_ (2007) **[Shinji]**  
Evanescence – _My Immortal_ (2000) **[Rei]**  
Journey – _Don't Stop Believing_ (1981) **[Kensuke]**  
Third Eye Blind – _Semi–Charmed Life_ (1997) **[Toji]**  
Orianthi – _According to You_ (2009) **[Asuka]**  
Britney Spears – _…Baby One More Time_ (1998) **[Misato]**  
Frank Sinatra – _Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)_ (1964) **[Kaji]**  
Yoko Takahashi – _A Cruel Angel's Thesis_ (1995) **[Mari]**

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 84.3% (+0.3%)  
Asuka – 78.2% (+3.9%)  
Mari – 75.0% (+0.8%)  
Rei – 71.8% (+1.2%)

Well, that was the chapter folks! It's not based on any particular anime episode or manga chapter, but still covers a bunch of stuff. Gendo's near omnipotence and ability to plan ahead for all eventualities, including his son falling in love, being always on point and ready to adapt, so Gendo is prepared for them to start a relationship, but he certainly won't see some of the other stuff that's coming. The chapter name comes from the 1977 movie _Saturday Night Fever_ starring John Travolta. I would have opened to someone carrying a paint can and walking to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, but I thought that might be a bit too corny.

Kaji and Shinji having a bit of time to themselves was fun to write. Lord knows Shinji needs a good male influence in his life that isn't his father. That and there conversation has been a long time coming, but Kaji is always so busy, but it's nice to put them in a scene together to chat, and there will be several more before the end of this fic.

As for the karaoke night, which is the last portion of the chapter… it was mean to portray how the characters are feeling at this time in the story. I picked each song (see above) to fit their personality, Hikari was singing for Toji, as she is his teenage dream (basically reaffirming the beginning of the chapter), Shinji's song was about running away with the one you love and leaving everything else behind, Rei's song choice was more of a comparison of how she remembered Rei I's life and her death, Kensuke basically won't ever stop believing he'll be an Evangelion pilot, Toji is foreshadowing his events with Bardiel in a way with his song as he will descend the Entry Plug to meet the Angel, while the song references getting lost in a crystal meth addiction, and wanting a change, Asuka's song s her recognizing that Shinji never puts her down, even when other people in her past have, he doesn't, Misato wants Kaji back with her song choice, and regrets not having asked him out yet, and Kaji and Mari's songs were more for fun than for any foreshadowing. Kaji's could be considered a serenade to Misato, and Mari's knowledge of events from the disc Fuyutsuki gave her, led her to choose the theme song to some "mech anime" with "psychological themes" at the forefront, and yet they can't remember the name of it… yeah, the fourth wall can kiss my ass, as that was so totally worth it.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	5. There is No Sphere; Leliel Mystifies

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 5 – There is No Sphere; Leliel Mystifies  
June 2, 2016 – NERV HQ

Fuyutsuki walked into Gendo's office yet again, this time unannounced, yet Gendo still knew he was coming to see him.

"Commander." Fuyutsuki said.

Gendo flipped the all too familiar switch on his desk, and he smirked. "How was your visit from Chairman Keel?"

"How did you know about that? You weren't even here." Fuyutsuki said..

"I know a lot of things, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "I always keep a close eye on his movements, why do you think I invented a reason to leave."

"To avoid him professionally." Fuyutsuki said. "Well done, because I was saddled with his rants once again. He is very displeased with all the delays, Ikari, he even hinted at your dismissal if things aren't improved."

"Let that old fossil rant until he dies. He will never remove me from this post. I will die here." Gendo said. "And I assume he was complaining about the usual topics of interest."

"Quite." Fuyutsuki said. "He complained about how far behind instrumentality is. He also mentioned something about a sample that was stolen from Germany last year. I think he wanted to see my reaction, but he seemed more displeased that I didn't react."

"Good. He doesn't need to know how well Adam is doing anyway." Gendo said. "The Dummy Plug system is coming along nicely for all the EVAs, and should be ready in a few months with any luck."

"Yes, but they do not see any progress on their project." Fuyutsuki said.

"All the projects are linked together Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "Even your project that made Rei has contributed heavily to what we have done to further our goals. They will get their instrumentality, just not the one they wanted."

"That is the hope, isn't it?" Fuyutsuki replied.

"Those old men are so arrogant, they could never see what's in front to their face." Gendo said. "Just like they don't realize Kaji works for me and the Japanese government as a triple agent. It's quite sad really, it's quite obvious."

"Isn't he a liability then?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Especially with what he knows?"

"He may know a lot, but he does not know enough to harm us." Gendo said. "And his compassion towards the pilots, and the love he still holds for Colonel Katsuragi will keep him from doing anything drastic."

"So, you're just using him?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Just like I use SEELE and the Marduk Institute for our own ends." Gendo said. "I even use NERV to realize my plans. I just hope he doesn't need to be neutralized, I would regret having to do that, he's very useful."

"Yes, he can be useful." Fuyutsuki said. "So, have you had any word on the next Angel?"

"I suspect in the next few days there will be another attack." Gendo said. "I suggest we make ourselves scarce for the next few days, starting tomorrow."

"Why would we leave during another Angel attack, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked inquisitively.

"Simple, Fuyutsuki." Gendo explained. "I want to see how Katsuragi and Akagi fair against the next one, if it's the one I think it is, then they should be in for a treat."

–––

The gang had just finished another set of sync tests for Ritsuko. Asuka and Mari were waiting outside the men's locker room for Shinji. Rei had left to go have more tests done by Ritsuko in her lab, leaving the two girls alone to wait.

"Come on, already, baka!" Asuka shouted. "Women get cleaned up faster than you do!"

"Come on now, princess, you know it takes you forever to get ready in the morning, leave him alone." Mari said.

"Maybe if he'd hurry up, he could cook us dinner or something." Asuka said. "I'm hungry and tired, which don't go well together, and we're not exactly allowed to cook are we?"

"Yeah, I know that already, princess, you don't have to remind me." Mari quipped. "And after last time, I never want to cook again…"

"Hey, baka, get the lead out, you're taking too damn long!" Asuka shouted through the door. "You know, usually he says something back… do you think he's alright?"

"I don't know… maybe we should go and check on him." Mari suggested.

"What if he's naked?" Asuka asked.

"Thinking about his toned little butt, aren't you?" Mari asked.

"No I'm not!" Asuka protested.

"Sure… then why bring it up." Mari said. "Then I'll go in alone. I've already seen him naked, so it won't matter. You're virgin eyes should just stay out here."

"The hell you're going in alone!" Asuka shouted angrily. "I'm coming too!"

"I bet you are _cumming_." Mari purred.

"Yeah I… oh, not like that you fucking pervert, I meant it with an "o" not a "u" you idiot!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did." Mari said. "Come, let's go see if he's ok."

The two girls went inside the locker room and heard retching from the stalls. They ran over to see Shinji bent over a toilet with his plugsuit half off, puking up jello like chunks of what looked like LCL.

"Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Are you ok?"

"No…" Shinji said weakly. "I think I swallowed some LCL… it's not agreeing with me…"

"Oh shit…" Mari said. "It looks gross too…"

"Have you even showered?" Asuka asked.

"No, I've been crouched here hoping it would end eventually but…" Shinji started, but was overcome with another wave of nausea and expelled more LCL and bile into the toilet.

"Oh how are we going to get him home?" Mari asked.

"Simple, Misato drives us." Asuka said.

"But I can't…" Mari said.

"What, why can't you go in the car?" Asuka asked.

"I just can't, princess." Mari said. "We'll have to find another way."

"What are you stupid or something to be afraid of cars?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, don't say that…" Shinji said weakly.

"Why not, it's stupid to be afraid of cars…" Asuka said, until she noticed the tears welling up in Mari's eyes. "Oh… ficken mein leben…"

"Mari… don't cry… please…" Shinji said as he tried to get up to hug her, but instead had to vomit again. Shinji got back up from the toilet and spoke slowly. "Just explain… why… she'll understand…"

Mari wiped her eyes and looked at Asuka angrily. "You know how I keep saying I'm way smarter than you?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Asuka said "But why is that…"

"Because I have a photographic memory." Mari said. "And the reason I hate cars is… my parents…" Mari shuddered. "They… died in a horrific car crash, and I was with them… I remember everything that happened that night… on my eighth birthday. I survived and they both died because… of a truck… all the blood… everything…" Mari stammered.

Asuka looked horrified and decided only one thing would help: a hug. She felt awkward hugging the stammering girl, but did her best anyway. "I'm sorry, Mari… I didn't know… I shouldn't have called you stupid…"

"Damn right…" Mari said. "But thanks for being so understanding…"

"Well, some things can't be made fun of." Asuka said solemnly. "So I guess we'll have to find another way to get Shinji home." Asuka said as Shinji threw up again. "Way to ruin the moment, baka."

"Sorry, but I don't think walking is a good idea, unless someone can carry me." Shinji said.

"Not happening." Asuka said. "You're too heavy."

"Then we need Misato to drive us, once I get this all out of my system." Shinji said.

"But, puppy, I can't…" Mari said.

"Remember what you told me about facing my fears, Mari?" Shinji asked. "That day we met, I took that Ferris wheel ride with you, and I hate heights. Can you do this for me, please, Mari?"

"But… I'm…" Mari said.

"You rode in the car with me to deal with Jet Alone too…" Shinji said. "You won't be alone, I'll be there, and Asuka will there too… you can squeeze my hand as tight as you want… it won't feel any worse than I do now."

"But…" Mari protested.

"Mari, please." Asuka said. "He's literally on his knees and begging you." Asuka stopped hugging her. "It's for your best friend, Mari." Asuka said. "Wouldn't you do anything to help him?"

"Yeah, I would…" Mari said and as she knelt there for a minute, she looked at Shinji's pale face, and Asuka's glare and relented. "Fine… but I'm not going to like it, considering the way Misato drives…"

"Thank you, Mari…" Shinji said.

"Good, now we just need to find Misato…" Asuka said.

"Why the hell are you two in here?!" Misato shouted as she stormed in. "I thought I told you all to stay in the appropriate locker rooms! NERV is not for wonton sex between co–workers or teenagers!"

"Hey, relax will ya?" Asuka said. "Shinji was taking too long, and we got worried. We found him puking up LCL, he swallowed a lot of it apparently."

"So, you're just being nice…" Misato asked.

Mari wiped her face. "Yeah, and you're one to talk, considering you and Kaji are fucking on the regular, you hypocrite."

"How did you know that?!" Misato shouted.

"Well, all that late night noise tends to wake those of us up who are light sleepers." Mari said. "And you're not exactly quiet you know."

"What…" Misato mumbled.

Mari imitated Misato's voice. "Oh, Kaji… harder, faster… I missed having you inside me… fuck me like when we were in college!"

Misato's face turned the same color as Asuka's hair.

"Oh… my… God…" Asuka muttered. "I did not need to hear that…"

"I want to throw up again…" Shinji said.

"What's wrong with consenting adults?" Misato asked. "You're teenagers, it's different!"

"Well, when you're telling us not to hook up, you're not exactly setting a good example." Mari explained.

"We're not hooking up, we're dating!" Misato shouted.

"Oh…" Mari said.

"About time." Asuka said.

"Excuse me?" Misato asked.

"Come on, he's loved you forever." Asuka said. "He told me so. I'm just glad you're together again."

"Yeah, so am I…" Shinji said. "Kaji's a nice person, you're lucky to have him."

"You really think so?" Misato asked.

"I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true." Shinji said.

"Well, enough about Misato and how much of a dirty girl she is, we need to get you home." Mari said. "Misato, can you… um… drive us?"

"Yeah, but are you sure?" Misato asked. "I know how you are with cars and everything."

"I'll be fine, it's for Shinji…" Mari said nervously.

"Yeah, just drive like a normal person at the speed limit Misato." Asuka said.

"But first we have to get Shinji changed somehow." Mari said.

"I can do that myself…" Shinji said as he stumbled when he got up off the ground. "I think so anyway."

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes and I'll get dressed." Shinji said.

"We'll wait outside then, Shinji." Asuka said.

"Just yell if you need anything." Mari said.

"I'll go get the car, just bring him to the parking garage at the end of this level, I'll be waiting for you." Misato said.

–––

After they got home, Asuka and Mari helped Shinji into the apartment. Mari was still shaking from having been in the car, and both Shinji and Asuka had sore hands from Mari squeezing them tightly. Asuka and Mari led Shinji to the bathroom so he could wash the LCL off of himself, and they'd be outside in case he needed help, which he assured them he wouldn't need.

"Hey, Mari, are you ok?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, mostly." Mari said. "I'm just glad that's over…"

"Look, if you need to cuddle with him, I don't mind." Asuka said. "I know you're not going to try and… well do anything with him…"

"That's a lot different than the Asuka I remember." Mari said.

"Well, you know what he means to me, and you're not a bad person, Mari." Asuka said. "But I think you could use his help tonight. I know that when I slept next to him, I felt like all my problems disappeared."

"No, I don't need to cuddle with him." Mari replied. "I don't want to interfere with you two." Mari looked at Asuka. "Why haven't you asked him out yet?"

"I'm… I'm just not ready yet…" Asuka said sullenly. "I want to go out with him, but I'm just afraid he'll say no still. It's stupid, but a part of me thinks he hates me…"

"If your sync score was higher than his would you ask him out?" Mari asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Asuka asked.

"Come on, princess… you always say you're the best pilot out there, even if the data doesn't support it." Mari explained. "Maybe your ego as a pilot is getting in the way a bit, even if you do… what was it, you only like him?" Mari asked.

"I…" Asuka mumbled.

"I mean, the way you act, it's more like you love him…" Mari suggested.

"I don't… I don't know." Asuka whispered. "I don't think I could fall in love with anyone, the thought that alone gives me a heart attack."

"A bit melodramatic, but otherwise it sounds accurate." Mari said. "You know, you should just try and ask him out, not on a date, but for something else, like a day on the town, take him to an amusement park or the zoo… it might help things a bit. He might even catch a hint you like him and ask you out properly."

"Do you really think so?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I can take a guess and say I'm sure he'll figure it out, you just have to… help things along a bit. Shinji is just a shy as you are about his feelings." Mari said.

"How did you know so much about him?" Asuka asked.

"We're best friends, princess." Mari said simply. "It's my job to know."

"So, you just know he's shy…" Asuka said.

"Yep, his life before Tokyo–3 wasn't that great, he was bullied and teased because of his father, and him being abandoned didn't help much either." Mari explained.

"So, he's as afraid as I am when it comes to expressing himself." Asuka said.

"Yep." Mari replied. "You're pretty smart, princess."

"Well, I am a genius after all…" Asuka said.

"Don't get cocky, princess." Mari said.

"Well you're right, she shouldn't." Misato said. "She isn't the best pilot in town."

"I already went over…" Mari started.

"Well, you didn't have the new sync results, third place." Misato said.

"Oh, because that's news." Mari said. "I've been in third since I started here, Asuka's been second, Rei's in fourth, and Shinji is at the top of heap. I'm guessing that's how out scores are this week too."

"Yeah, pretty much." Misato said.

"Then shut up, miso." Mari said angrily. "You making this into some sort of sick competition isn't going to help anything."

"Mari what are you…" Asuka asked.

"I'm defending you, princess." Mari said as she winked. "Now, Misato, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"But some healthy…" Misato started.

"No, it's only going to breed discontent with us all." Mari said. "Right, princess?"

"Uh… right!" Asuka said with as much conviction as she could muster.

"But the sync score…" Misato protested.

"It means shit without comparing it to actual ability, Misato, as a tactician, you should know that." Mari said sternly. "From what that Akagi woman tells us, the broad strokes of the sync scores only indicate levels of control, not ability for combat. On that note alone, Asuka and Shinji would at best be tied, whereas me and blueberry are woefully lacking."

"She would be tied?" Misato asked.

"Have you even noticed how good she is in the EVA?" Mari asked. "I mean, you helped train her and all, but have noticed how hard she tries, and you only ever praise Shinji, never the rest of us."

"Are you really doing this, Mari?" Misato asked.

"You bet your ass I am, miso!" Mari said. "Shinji might be great, but the rest of us are too, and we deserve the same recognition."

"So, all you want is equal praise and to be recognized for the fact you pilot the EVA?" Misato asked. "But I already do that."

"You only do that for Shinji." Mari said. "You need to treat us all the same, we're all out there together, we should all be treated the same."

"I didn't realize…" Misato said. "I'm sorry, Mari, I didn't know I was only praising him, but the rest of you are so willing to be in an EVA, I thought Shinji might need a little extra push to stay. And I'm sorry Asuka, I didn't know it bothered you so much."

"Well, it does…" Asuka said. "But I accept your apology."

"I guess I do too, miso." Mari said. "But just try to remember, next time I'll be louder and more explicit from inside the Entry Plug instead of in the apartment."

Pen–Pen, who had been sleeping heard all the noise and decided to come and investigate. He poked his head around the corner to see everyone standing there, and cocked his head to the side.

"Wark?" Pen–Pen squawked.

"It's fine, Pen–Pen, go back to your freezer." Misato said. "Mari was just telling me I was being an idiot."

Pen–Pen rolled his eyes. "Wark…"

"Hey… I don't judge you, you silly bird." Misato said.

Pen–Pen pointed to each of them and then shook his head. "Wark!"

Asuka and Misato looked at the bird funny, but Mari figured out what he meant.

"Shinji's in the bathroom, Pen–Pen, he's not feeling well." Mari said.

"Wark… wark…" Pen–Pen squawked as he waddled away.

"Awww, he cares about Shinji." Mari said. "That's adorable."

"Yeah, that's adorable alright." Asuka said.

"So, is Shinji cooking?" Misato asked.

"What do you think, dummkopf?" Asuka asked.

"Probably… not?" Misato asked.

"None of us are cooking." Mari said sternly. "We'll just order out, and we'll get Shinji some soup or something else that won't make him sick."

"Ok I'll go find the menus." Misato said. "And you two, try not to peek at him, ok?"

"We're not the perverts." Mari said. "Sexual deviant…" Mari mumbled.

"What was that?" Misato asked.

Mari smiled. "You heard me."

"I swear I don't know how you come up with some of the thigs you say, Mari." Misato said as she walked away.

"Did you really have to say that?" Asuka asked.

"Come on princess, don't you remember what we found in her room?" Mari asked. "I mean, she had a lot of stuff…"

"Yeah, but I don't like thinking about it." Asuka said. "It's gross…"

* * *

June 3, 2016 – NERV HQ, Central Dogma

"So, what's going on out there guys?" Misato asked as she paced nervously behind the bridge bunnies.

"Nothing that I can see." Aoba said. "All scopes are clear."

"Confirming reports of no Angelic sightings, Colonel." Hyuga said.

"Are the EVAs on emergency standby?" Misato asked.

"Yes, ma'am, they are." Maya reported. "But why do you have them on standby?"

"The last time the Commandeer and Sub–Commander were out of town on business, an Angel attacked, I don't intent to be caught unaware, considering these things seem to know the ideal time to strike."

"Well, I can't argue with you there, Colonel." Hyuga said. "Hold on, what's this?" Hyuga said "I have a report coming in from the Fuji Observation Center."

"What's the report say, Hyuga?" Misato asked anxiously.

"All that it says is there's a large floating sphere that suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Aoba said. "It apparently appeared within the observation perimeter."

"Is it an Angel?" Misato asked.

"No, ma'am, Pattern Orange only, and no A.T. Field to speak of." Hyuga reported.

"Great, but that still doesn't give me a lot of hope that this isn't an Angel." Misato said. "What's its current position?"

"It's several kilometers outside the city, to the northeast, moving towards us at a rate of 5 k/h towards the city." Maya reported. "ETA 77 minutes."

"Set Level–2 battle stations, and evacuate the areas of the city in its path, and tell me where the pilots are, we need to deploy all the EVAs immediately."

"Right away ma'am!" Maya said.

"I'm glad you thought ahead, Colonel." Hyuga said. "Otherwise we wouldn't be ready to intercept so quickly."

"Well, it's moving slowly, but we can't just wait for it to get here, we need to be ready to intercept outside the city." Misato replied.

–––

A large sphere was floating along in the air, it was moving at a slow and steady pace. It had a black and white dazzle pattern on its surface. It had no other distinguishable features, other than the fact it did not cast a shadow.

Directly beneath the sphere however was a small, black dot. It was centered under the sphere and moved with it at the same glacial pace.

Leliel had arrived.

–––

The children were once again back at NERV HQ, where they had another set of sync tests, something no one was happy about.

"I don't mind missing school or anything, but what exactly is the point of back to back sync tests?" Asuka asked. "I mean, we were just here yesterday, do we really need to get more data so soon?"

"Yes we do, Asuka." Ritsuko said angrily. "Why do always ask so many stupid questions."

"My mother always told me there was no such thing as a stupid question." Shinji said.

"Your mother was a smart women." Mari said.

"Yeah, I'm not asking anything stupid, just simple." Asuka said. "Why are we here again so soon?"

"So that I can get more data on day to day changes in your synchrograph." Ritsuko said. "I don't know why you insist on complaining about your job."

"Because this part of the job sucks balls!" Mari said. "We have to sit in those Entry Plugs and do nothing… its boring! Can't we load apps or something onto the onboard computers? I'll settle for minesweeper or solitaire."

"We are not reducing the Entry Plugs to a child's plaything!" Ritsuko shouted. "The Entry Plug and Evangelion are highly sophisticated scientific equipment."

"Piloted by teenagers." Shinji said. "Mari's got a point, something for us to do would make things go by faster."

"It's out of the question." Ritsuko said. "If you're not focusing on the Evangelions, than the sync tests mean nothing."

"Come on, some of us can multitask, I can concentrate on more than one thing quite easily." Mari said. "Can't the rest of you?"

"I am more than capable of doing such a task." Rei said.

"Yeah, I do that all the time." Asuka said.

"It not that hard really." Shinji said.

"See, no harm no foul." Mari said. "No can we please get some apps?"

"I said no, and that is final!" Ritsuko said angrily.

" _Sorry to interrupt your wonderful conversation, but they need to get to the EVAs immediately._ " Misato said over the loudspeaker.

"What is it this time?" Ritsuko asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Asuka asked.

"It's an Angel!" Mari said excitedly.

" _Not quite…_ " Misato said. " _But it is moving towards us, get in your EVAs and prepare for immediate intercept._ "

"Well, I guess this is better than another sync test." Shinji said.

"Yeah, we're gonna have fun!"

–––

The four EVAs were sitting just outside the city limits, in an older section of the city that was similar to where Rei lived. They were lying in wait for Leliel to appear so they could destroy it before it got to the city. The EVAs were deployed away from each other to intercept the object on the most probable routes according to the MAGI.

The Evangelions were all armed as well. Unit–XP had its spear arm ready for combat, Unit–00 stood ready with a Progressive Glaive, and Unit–02 had the new Progressive Axe in hand. Unit–01 on the other hand was standing at the ready with a giant handgun and the new Progressive Sword its back.

Shinji was in his Entry plug, and was relaxing and trying not to swallow any more LCL that would make him sick.

" _Where is this thing?!_ " Mari moaned. " _I'm so bored! I just wanna stab it and go home…_ "

" _Mari, this isn't the time for jokes._ " Misato said.

" _Well, it's not a joke, miso, I'm fucking bored._ " Mari said. " _If the great and powerful Akagi had let us put apps in the EVAs, I wouldn't be trying to not fall asleep waiting for this… sphere thingy to attack._ "

" _Do you have any more data on the target, Misato?_ " Asuka asked. " _I'm with four eyes, I'm bored, and going over something will keep me slightly more awake than I am now._ "

" _We've sent you everything we have on the target._ " Ritsuko said. " _It's a Pattern Orange, and there haven't been any developments since the initial sighting._ "

"So we're just waiting for a floating zebra ball to find out if it is or isn't an Angel." Shinji said. "Are we even sure it's going to become an Angel? I mean, maybe someone just lost a very large balloon or something and forgot to mention it."

" _Funny, puppy._ " Mari giggled. " _Maye we can bounce it around, or play kickball or something with the EVAs if it's just a parade balloon._ "

" _That would certainly make up for the lack of apps in here._ " Asuka said.

" _I concur._ " Rei said. " _I am not used to being bored, but this is the most uneventful sortie I have ever had. I am not even afraid._ "

" _This is not a game you four!_ " Ritsuko said angrily.

" _Enough you four._ " Misato said admonishingly. " _You're going to give Ritsuko an aneurysm._ "

"Sorry, Misato." Shinji said.

" _Whatever, miso._ " Mari said.

" _Yeah I'm not sorry for being bored._ " Asuka said defiantly.

" _Jesus, you all act like children._ " Misato aid grumpily.

"Misato, we _are_ children." Shinji said. "Or did you forget?"

" _Incoming enemy target picked up on sensors!_ " Maya reported.

" _It's inside the defense perimeter, Colonel!_ " Hyuga said frantically.

" _Range to Evangelions is 1,150 meters._ " Aoba reported. " _It is moving considerably faster than it was before._ "

" _Who's the closest?_ " Misato asked.

" _Unit–02._ " Aoba replied.

" _Asuka will be taking point._ " Misato said. " _Everyone else will back her up, understood?_ "

" _Yes, miso._ " Mari said.

"Roger." Shinji replied.

" _Affirmative._ " Rei replied.

" _No, I think Shinji should._ " Asuka said. " _He's honestly the best pilot, he should go first._ "

"Asuka, I'm not the best pilot…" Shinji replied as he looked at video feed pop up on his display. "I haven't been doing this long enough to be the best."

" _Well, you've killed more Angels than the rest of us, so you're far more qualified to go in first._ " Asuka replied. " _Besides, I think you'll be fine against the parade balloon._ "

" _Asuka that's not the plan._ " Misato said. " _You will take point because its heading for you, and Shinji will be your primary back up, as he's the closest. Now, move out!_ "

Unit–02 held its Prog Axe at the ready and advanced on the floating zebra ball. Unit–01 moved forward as well, following Unit–02 while Unit–00 and Unit–XP stayed stationary and waited for instructions.

Leliel was floating in between the buildings, just a bit higher than the Evangelions were tall. It moved slowly, almost cautiously thought the outskirts of the city.

"Weird, it doesn't have a shadow…" Shinji said as he looked at Leliel intently, looking for any signs of hostility. "Shouldn't it have one, or am I wrong?"

" _Yeah, it's huge, and there isn't anything on the ground._ " Asuka replied. " _Did you people notice that it doesn't have a shadow, or do we have to do your jobs too?_ "

" _Sorry, Asuka, we didn't notice that at all._ " Maya said. " _Good catch you two._ "

" _I'm not sure what that means…_ " Ritsuko said.

" _Use extreme caution you two._ " Misato said. " _Rei, Mari, move in and cover them._ "

" _Roger._ " Rei replied.

" _I'm rolling._ " Mari said.

Unit–00 and Unit–XP moved forward towards Leliel as Asuka got closer to investigate. She was holding the Prog Axe loosely and was just looking at Leliel from a short distance away.

" _This thing doesn't look very threatening…_ " Asuka said.

"Hey, I know you weren't here then, but don't forget, the Fifth Angel was an octahedron, and it didn't look deadly either until it shot a death laser at my chest." Shinji said.

" _I know, I'm being careful._ " Asuka said. " _Just relax, ok? Everything will be fine._ "

Shinji looked worriedly at Unit–02 as it got closer to Leliel. The ground then started to turn black. "Asuka, look out!" Shinji reacted instinctively and pulled Unit–02's power cable hard, and yanked Unit–02 away from the black disc forming underneath Leliel, Leliel's true form. Unit–02 flew through the air and landed hard on the ground several dozen meters behind Unit–01. As Unit–02 struggled to its feet, with its pilot in a state of shock, Asuka started to berate Shinji.

" _What in the hell was that for?!_ " Asuka shouted. " _What are you, stupid or something, baka?! You could have injured me._ "

"But that dark circle stated to form around it, it seemed dangerous considering it didn't have a shadow right before that." Shinji said. "I'm sorry Asuka, I was just thinking about your safety."

Asuka growled at him. " _Well, next time you have a bright idea like that, tell me to run, alright? I don't like getting whiplash from the enemies, let alone my good friends._ "

"Sorry, Asuka." Shinji said.

" _Hey, uh, Shinji… weren't there buildings there a second ago?_ " Asuka asked as Unit–02 pointed behind him. " _Or am I imaging things…_ "

Unit–02 turned around, and Shinji got a full view of what Unit–02 was pointing at. The black void that expanded from beneath the sphere, and the old abandoned cityscape that had been standing there moments before had vanished.

The edge of the disc was approaching Unit–01, and as it tried to move, Shinji found the controls were unresponsive. Unit–01 then began struggling to stay on its feet as Shinji heard alarms go off inside the Entry Plug, and a message display across the screen "GRAVITY WELL DETECTED" which caused Shinji some alarm.

"Can someone explain what's happening?" Shinji asked. "I can't move, I'm stuck!"

Maya gasped. " _Gravimetric readings are off the scale!_ "

" _Sensors have been triggered!_ " Hyuga reported. " _A Pattern Blue has been detected, the sphere, it is an Angel!_ "

" _Level–1 battle stations, retract the city now, and evacuate everyone to shelters, now!_ " Misato ordered. " _Shinji, just try to move!_ "

"I can't!" Shinji said worriedly as the black void approached him.

Unit–01 and Yui responded to Shinji by increasing its power consumption to compensate.

"Shinji, what are you doing?" Hyuga asked. "You're drawing a lot more power than usual."

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I can at least stand…" Shinji tried moving the control yokes. "But I still can't walk… the EVA's too heavy!" So, instead of running, Shinji turned and fired at the sphere to no avail. His round shooting directly through it. "What the fuck is going on?!"

–––

Misato and the rest of the bridge crew watched on the main display as Shinji fired at Leliel and did absolutely no damage.

"Ritsuko, what is this?" Misato asked.

"I don't know." Ritsuko said. "I have absolutely no idea…"

"Fine, Aoba, deploy Mari's Gatling Cannon, let's see if heavier fire will do anything to it." Misato said. "Maya, what's this gravity well?"

"It's only a few meters high, but it's holding the EVA in place at 50 times Earth's normal gravity." Maya explained. "So Shinji can move his upper body, but nothing else."

"Wonderful…" Misato said. "So, what can he do?"

"Nothing at the moment." Ritsuko said. "He's completely unable to move. Whatever that void is, he won't be able to get away from it."

"Fine, then let's kill this thing and do save him." Misato said. "Aoba, send up a sniper rifles to both Rei and Asuka."

"Belay that." Ritsuko said. "Neither of them are cleared for that weapon."

"Well, we can't just fire all Gatling guns at the thing, the sniper rifles have even bigger rounds." Misato said. "So hopefully with that firepower, we can kill this thing dead. Aoba, follow my orders, send up the weapons, now!"

"Aye, aye, Colonel!" Aoba replied.

–––

Asuka looked on from her Entry Plug at the struggling Unit–01. She was frozen with fear and unable to do anything. It took her a second to regain her composure.

'Ok, come on, Asuka, you can't let him die… you… you… I… I love him!' Asuka thought. 'I love him and can't afford to lose him… I need to do something… I need to help.'

"Misato, get me a big gun!" Asuka shouted. "Now!"

"It's on the way Asuka, 30 meters to your right!" Misato replied.

Unit–02 grabbed the sniper rifle from the armament building, and trained the crosshairs on the sphere Shinji was firing at.

" _FIRE!_ " Misato ordered.

Asuka and Rei opened fire at a steady pace with their semi–automatic sniper rifles, while Mari began unloading a stream of hot lead right at the sphere.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Asuka screamed.

" _Eat lead you fucking freak!_ " Mari shouted.

All the rounds fired at the sphere passed right though it into the surrounding buildings. Mari's stream of rounds collapsed several abandoned buildings, while the fire from Rei and Asuka had a similar effect.

Asuka saw that all the rounds had missed. "What the fuck is that thing?! Nothing hit it! It went right though!"

" _We don't know, Asuka, just hold your positions!_ "

" _Well, get a fucking clue, miso!_ " Mari shouted. " _Shinji's trapped and he can't move, figure out a way to get him away from the gravity well!_ "

" _Mari, you do not communicate in that tone of voice to your superiors!_ " Misato said angrily.

" _I will when you guys have no fucking clue what's going on!_ " Mari said angrily.

"Yeah, he's in trouble and we can't do anything, can we?!" Asuka screamed. "We're fucking useless out here!"

" _Please, Misato, give us a plan to save Shinji._ " Rei said.

" _I don't have a plan!_ " Misato said angrily. " _We don't have any way of rescuing him._ "

" _It's impossible._ " Ritsuko said. " _We can't save him._ "

"Fine, if you don't have a plan, then we'll think of something ourselves." Asuka said. "Four eyes, wundergirl, help me grab his power cable, we're going to tug him out of there."

" _Princess, I don't think we can tug him out of something that powerful._ " Mari said.

" _We must try…_ " Rei said. " _Shinji would do the same for us._ "

" _Alright, blueberry, let's try it._ " Mari said.

Unit–XP and Unit–00 moved forward to join Unit–02 in pulling Unit–01's cable. Unit–XP wrapped the cable around its craw arm, and moved behind Unit–00 and Unit–02 and faced away from Unit–01. Unit–00 and Unit–02 got into a standard tugging position.

" _What are you guys doing?_ " Shinji asked.

"We're getting you out of there, baka!" Asuka shouted. "Before it swallows you up!"

" _Asuka, I already told you moving him was impossible._ " Ritsuko said. " _Leave him._ "

"No one asked you, bitch!" Asuka growled.

" _I will not be spoken to in that…_ " Ritsuko started.

" _Dr. Akagi, we are not leaving Shinji alone to save ourselves._ " Rei said calmly. " _We will save him, and your dismissal of our efforts is not helping the matter."_

"Excuse me?" Ritsuko said.

" _I believe blueberry just politely told you to shut the fuck up!_ " Mari said.

"Come on, let's pull!" Asuka shouted.

All three Evangelions began pulling on power cord. Unit–XP's wheels were spinning in place, kicking up dust and digging into the ground, while Both Unit–00 and Unit–02 had dug their feet several meters into the ground around them trying to make Unit–01 budge.

The shadow that was Leliel was inching ever closer to Unit–01 and Shinji, and no matter how hard they tried, Unit–01 hadn't moved at all.

"Hey, four eyes, kick it into overdrive!" Asuka shouted.

" _I am, but it's not moving!_ " Mari shouted. " _The wheels are just spinning uselessly!_ "

" _We must try harder!_ " Rei said. " _Perhaps an explosion under his feet will throw Unit–01 into the air and release him, and we then we will pull him to safety._ "

" _That lady bridge bunny said it was 50 times Earth's gravity, we just need a blast that's more powerful than that!_ " Mari said.

"Misato, send us up a couple of bazookas!" Asuka pleaded. "Hurry!"

" _No, I can't Asuka, Ritsuko's right, there isn't anything you can do!_ " Misato said sternly. " _Retreat and we'll think of something!_ "

"NO! I AM NOT LEAVING HIM HERE!" Asuka shouted. "HE SAVED ME FROM THE FICKEN VOLCANO, I'M NOT ABANDONING HIM, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T ABANDON ME WHEN I NEEDED HIM MOST!"

" _You want us to retreat Colonel?_ " Rei asked.

" _Yes, immediately._ " Misato said. " _We can't risk all of you being trapped._ "

" _I do not believe that is the best course of action._ " Rei replied.

" _I agree, we have to try and save him, miso._ " Mari said angrily. " _Send up the fucking bazookas already!_ "

" _No, I've given you all a direct order, retreat at once!_ " Misato said angrily.

"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM HERE!" Asuka screamed. "I REFUSE!"

–––

Shinji was sitting in his Entry Plug listening to Asuka shout and scream that she wouldn't abandon him. Experience had taught him to never interrupt Asuka when she was angry, so Shinji kept his mouth shut. However, Mari and Rei's idea to blow him free of the approaching black void gave him his own idea.

"Everyone, stop arguing!" Shinji said. "I have an idea."

" _What is it, Shinji?!_ " Asuka asked.

" _Yeah, puppy, enlighten us before the princess goes and kills miso and the bitch._ " Mari said.

"I can try using the retro rockets in the shoulder pylons to escape!" Shinji said. "It may or may not work, but it's worth a try."

" _Shinji, they do not have enough thrust to overcome…_ " Ritsuko started.

" _SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU HORRIBLE WOMAN!_ " Asuka screamed.

" _Enough, the both of you!_ " Misato shouted. " _Shinji, go ahead and try, it's more than we've come up with here._ "

"Right." Shinji said.

Unit–01 got ready and opened the backs of its shoulder pylons and extended the retro rockets. Shinji flipped the switch to activate them, and they roared to life. Shinji steadily pushed them to their limits, near 105% of the rated output and Unit–01 did not budge.

"Misato, is there a safety override for these things?!" Shinji asked frantically.

" _Yes, I think so… but…_ " Misato said.

"Override it now!" Shinji pleaded. "While they still have power!"

" _Misato, you can't…_ " Ritsuko said.

" _I can and I will, Ritsuko, I'm in command here, this is my decision._ " Misato replied. " _Maya, disable the flow and output settings in Unit–01's retro rockets._ "

" _Yes, ma'am!_ " Maya replied. " _Safeties disengaged!_ "

" _Do it Shinji!_ " Misato shouted.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as he threw the throttle to 250%, and still Unit–01 was stuck in place, as Leliel's black void moved slowly within a few hundred meters of Unit–01. The retro rockets kept firing until they burned out, as they fizzled from life, everyone else looked on in disappointment that Shinji's plan didn't work.

"I guess it wasn't enough…" Shinji said sullenly.

" _Don't worry, Shinji, we'll figure something out!_ " Asuka said.

" _Yeah, puppy, we'll save you._ " Mari said cheerfully.

"No… get out of here while you still can…" Shinji said.

–––

Asuka looked at Shinji's video chat on her display screen.

"What, are you fucking crazy?!" Asuka screamed. "We're not leaving you!"

" _No, I'm not crazy, Asuka!_ " Shinji said angrily. " _I don't want you guys to get caught in this stupid thing, just get out of here._ "

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING!" Asuka shouted.

Unit–02 pulled in vain on Unit–01's power cable.

" _Shinji, Asuka's right… we're not leaving you._ " Mari said tearfully.

" _Shinji, we are your friends, we are going to save you._ " Rei said quietly. " _Just like you would save us…_ "

" _Then I guess I have to save you all one last time…_ " Shinji said solemnly. " _Forgive me…_ "

Unit–01 took the Prog Sword off its back and swung the back across the taught cable, severing it complexly. Unit–02 flew backwards from the tension releasing all at once, and Unit–01 tossed its sword and sidearm towards them as the black void came within a few meters of Unit–01.

" _Get out of here, now!_ " Shinji screamed. " _All of you! You can't do anything to help me, and you shouldn't die to try and save me from a lost cause._ "

" _Shinji, you can't be serious…_ " Mari said.

" _I am serious, Mari._ " Shinji said. " _I'm doing this to save you all from what's about to happen to me. Misato, that sphere, it isn't the Angel, it's the thing on the ground… that's what you have to kill._ "

" _Shinji…_ " Misato mumbled. " _You've come so far…_ "

" _Shinji… you don't have to give up…_ " Mari murmured.

" _I'm not giving up , I'm keeping you all safe, now get out of here and leave me behind!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Get lost!_ "

"Shinji, don't be such a fucking quitter!" Asuka shouted. "We'll figure something out, Misato always has some harebrained scheme to do shit!"

" _Asuka, I'm sorry… I don't want you all to risk your lives on something that is nearly impossible._ " Shinji said. " _But I'm sure something will happen… remember what Kaji said the day we met? I have luck on my side, the most powerful ally of all._ "

"Luck isn't going to keep saving you!" Asuka shouted at him. "Luck runs out, we can still help you, baka! We need you!"

"You don't need me Asuka…" Shinji said.

"But… I…" Asuka muttered.

" _Shinji… please do not… please do not do this…_ " Rei said. " _I do not wish to say goodbye to you… you told me that it was wrong to say that once…_ "

" _Then don't say goodbye, Rei._ " Shinji said. " _We'll just leave it as see you soon…_ "

"SHINJI!" Asuka screamed. "SHINJI, NOOOOO!"

Leliel had finally reached its mark and captured Unit–01 in its void. Unit–01 began to fall in, and Unit–02 bounded forward to help, but was grabbed by Unit–00.

"Let me go wundergirl!" Asuka shouted. "Let me go, now!"

" _No, Asuka…_ " Rei said. " _Shinji is doing this for us…_ "

"No, he's being selfish, he's running away!" Asuka screamed as Unit–01 struggled to escape the black void. "He's running away from his friends to be stupid hero!"

" _Rei, whatever it takes, get her back here!_ " Misato ordered. " _We're not letting Shinji's sacrifice be in vein._ "

" _I'm ejecting the power cable now, ma'am, that should help._ " Maya said.

" _Good thinking, Maya._ " Ritsuko replied.

"Don't you fucking dare eject that thing!" Asuka said angrily. "I'm staying to help him!"

" _Asuka, I hate to agree with Akagi… but there isn't anything we can do besides get trapped ourselves…_ " Mari said sadly.

"No, I refuse to believe that!" Asuka shouted. "You're a fucking quitter four eyes!"

Unit–02's power cable ejected and hit the ground as Unit–01's head and right arm were all that were still visible as Unit–02 struggled against the grasp of Unit–00. All three Evangelions watched in horror as Unit–01 disappeared into the blackness of the void.

"Shinji, get back here!" Asuka screamed. "SHINJI!"

–––

Everyone was standing outside Unit–02 on its catwalk. Asuka was refusing to leave the plug, and after having run out the power on her Evangelion, she was not a threat to the base, but she overrode the ejection controls and wanted to be redeployed to save Shinji.

"Asuka, please come out from there." Misato said.

" _No, I want to go back and save Shinji!_ "

"Princess, please, we'll go back out together, but we need a plan." Mari said. "Come on, Shinji would not be happy to see you like this…"

" _Well, he isn't fucking here, is he?!_ " Asuka shouted. " _He's trapped in there, and I was completely useless, I count even save him!_ "

"Asuka it is not your fault." Rei said simply. "You came up with a wonderful idea, but it was not enough. Shinji had an idea too, and it also failed. We will learn from these failures and find a way to rescue him, is that not correct, Dr. Akagi?"

"Uh… yes, it is." Ritsuko said somewhat convincingly. "Maya, Hyuga, and I are going over the data we received, and are trying to formulate a plane to free Shinji."

" _Bullshit!_ " Asuka shouted. " _You're not the type to change your mind from an impossible situation to being confident about something, you're too much of a ficken pessimist!_ "

"Well… she's got you there…" Mari quipped. "Look, why don't you go and try and solve this Akagi… you being around isn't going to make her come out of that thing."

"I agree, Ritsuko, it's for the best." Misato said.

"You too, miso." Mari said. "Go and pull a plan out of your ass like always."

"What?" Misato said. "I'm not leaving her alone."

"She will not be alone." Rei replied. "Asuka will have us. You cannot be alone when your friends are there to support you."

"Fine, we'll go, just get her out of that thing." Misato said.

Mari smiled. "No problem, miso, just leave it to us."

Misato and Ritsuko left in a huff, along with everyone else on the catwalk, leaving Mari and Rei alone with Unit–02.

"Asuka, they're gone." Mari said. "If you're crying, you can come out, they won't be able to see your weakness, and I won't tease you I promise."

" _No, I'm not coming out… I just need a minute!_ " Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, it is alright to feel sad, I am having trouble not expressing my emotion." Rei said. "The sooner you come out from the Entry Plug, the sooner we can start planning a way to rescue Shinji."

"That, and we ca go home and cry a lot…" Mari said. "I'll cry with you Asuka, you don't have to do this alone. You're not the only one he sacrificed himself for, you know."

" _I know that… but…_ " Asuka said.

"Asuka, just get out here, we can go cry in the showers, and you can compose yourself and put up that tough as nails thing you all the time." Mari said.

" _No, I want to be alone!_ " Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, I think in this situation, being alone is the worst possible idea." Kaji said, appearing silently behind the girls. "Now stop acting like this and get out here."

" _Kaji?_ " Asuka asked.

"Yes, Asuka, it's me." Kaji said. "And I think Shinji would be disappointed you're acting like this He saved you and you're going to squander the time you have acting like a child? If Shinji were in your position, he'd pull himself together and find a way to rescue you, not cry until things were solved for him."

" _Kaji, who could you say that!_ " Asuka said angrily.

"Because it's the truth, Asuka, and the truth hurts sometimes." Kaji said. "Now get out here. Your friends need you right now just as much as you need them. Stop being selfish and cry with them. You don't have to keep up the act around them, Asuka, you can express your feelings in front of them, and they won't judge you."

Instead of responding, the armor plate on the back of Unit–02 opened, and the Entry Plug slid out and opened, revealing a red faced Asuka, who had clearly been crying.

"Fine, I'm out of the stupid Entry Plug." Asuka said. "Now what?"

"Go get changed and shower." Kaji said. "And take as much time as you need. I'll go and motivate Katsuragi and Akagi to figure out a plan to save him."

"That bitch doesn't want to help, her giant brain was useless while he was there sacrificing himself!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, I've known Dr. Akagi a long time, she can be difficult, but she'll always do her job." Kaji said. "Just go to the locker room and try to relax… like Shinji said, luck's on his side."

"Luck can't keep helping him." Asuka said. "It always runs out…"

"Yes it can." Kaji said. "Luck protects fools, children, and ships named _Enterprise_."

"Well, Shinji is a child still, so he should be fine." Mari said.

"Or he's just a huge fool." Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, do not say that about Shinji!" Rei exclaimed loudly. "He sacrificed himself so that we would retreat instead of staying to get sucked in as well, which we all know we would do for him! He is not a fool, he is the bravest person I know besides you and Mari!"

Asuka, Mari, and Kaji raised their eyebrows at Rei yelling. Kaji did smile a bit, realizing something important. Mari noticed that Unit–02's eyes also lit up and appeared to look directly at Asuka, then before anyone else could notice, they shut off again.

'So, Kyoko, looks like we need to talk…' Mari thought.

'Shinji's had one hell of an effect on these girls… definitely for the better.' Kaji thought. "Alright, so it's settled. Asuka, go with them, I'll go see how the command staff is doing."

Asuka clambered down and started to walk away with Rei, while Mari stayed behind staring at the Evangelion.

"Mari, are you not coming?" Rei asked.

"In a minute." Mari said. "I just need a minute…"

"Understood." Rei said. "Come on, Asuka, we should give her the minute she requested."

"Yeah…" Asuka muttered as she followed Rei.

Kaji looked at Mari and smiled. 'So, she noticed the eyes too… I guess she knows one of her two old best friends are in there… I'll leave her be then.' Kaji thought. "Buck up, Mari, he'll pull through, he always does."

"I know…" Mari said as she stood there and waited for him to leave.

When she heard him go, Mari walked in front of Unit–02's massive red face, and its eyes turned on and appeared to focus on Mari's slender figure.

"So, Kyoko, what is it? Are you worried about Yui and Shinji?" Mari asked. "You know the drill, one flash for yes, two for no."

Unit–02's eyes flashed once.

"Are you worried about Asuka's outburst too?" Mari asked.

Unit–02's eyes flashed twice.

"Well, I wish I could get our reasoning for that answer, but I can guess its because you see that she loves him with all her heart."

Unit–02's eyes flashed once.

Mari smiled. "I love being right." Mari reached out and touched Unit–02's face in a consoling manner. "Done worry, Kyoko… we'll get Shinji out of there, or Yui will do it herself. She seems to have a flair for that sort of thing."

Unit–02's eyes flashed once, and then shut off again.

"Good talk, Kyoko." Mari said. "Next time we talk, Yui will be back with us, I know it."

–––

Several hours later, Ritsuko Akagi was in the briefing room, awaiting the three remaining pilots. Kaji had appeared a few minutes before after hearing Ritsuko had thought up a plan. Misato, who had been intently monitoring the Angel from Central Dogma with all three bridge bunnies came down with Hyuga and Aoba while sending Maya to fetch the pilots.

"Where are the pilots?" Ritsuko said. "I assumed they would have gotten here quite quickly, considering their earlier reactions to…"

"Shinji getting sucked in by the Angel?" Kaji asked. "They're probably trying to calm down in the locker room, Ritsuko."

"I sent Maya to get them she should be here in a few minutes." Misato said. "So, do you have a plan, Ritsuko?"

"Yes, I will explain it when everyone is here." Ritsuko said.

"Ok…" Misato said.

"We're here." Maya said in a subdued tone, ushering the three pilots in their streets clothes inside. All of them had dejected looks on their faces as Maya shuffled in behind them.

"Seeing as you're all here now, I can begin." Ritsuko said. "From the information gathered by everyone out in the field, and the data we received from our sensors, we have several facets about the Twelfth Angel. Firstly, Shinji was correct, the sphere is not the Angel. It has no waveform pattern, and was undetectable on our sensors."

"So, where is Shinji?" Mari asked abrasively.

"I'm getting to that…" Ritsuko said in an annoyed tone. "The Angel's main body, which appears to be a black void on the ground is actually what physicists call a Dirac Sea."

"A negative energy vacuum with an infinite sea of negative energy?" Mari asked.

"Shinji is caught in a theoretical construct?" Rei asked.

"Not so theoretical anymore is it?" Asuka quipped.

"The… very same…" Ritsuko stuttered, flabbergasted. "How did you… how did you know about that?"

"I read a book on the subject some time ago." Rei replied.

"Internet." Mari said.

"In any case, get back to the plan, Ritsuko." Misato said. "The kids are smart, why even bother asking?"

"I was curious, but I digress…" Ritsuko replied. "The Sea of Dirac that Shinji is caught in has a diameter of 650m and is only 3nm thick. I believe this is being created by the Angel inverting its A.T. to manipulate and bypass the laws of physics. As for the gravity well… apparently as it projects the illusionary ball in the air, a field some 1,400m in diameter extends 5m to 10m above the Sea of Dirac to ensnare objects in its path. The pull of this gravimetric field can be seen within several hundred meters from the edge of the field, so, if Shinji had not pulled you back when he did, you both would have been trapped by the field, which at its strongest, the field is 50 times stronger than Earth's own gravitational pull. As of right now, there is no gravity well currently being projected, indicating that the Angel can control its deployment."

"What about Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"On minimal life support mode, Shinji has just over 16 hours of power to stay alive." Ritsuko said. "And that is assuming he did the smart thing and switched right over to that instead of struggling and fumbling around like an idiot."

"Shinji is not an idiot!" Asuka said angrily.

"So, what's the plan?" Kaji interjected.

"The plan is simple." Ritsuko explained. "The three remaining Evangelions will be deployed strategically around its perimeter and deploy their A.T. Fields. I have also contacted the U.N. to muster all available N2 warheads, 992 in total, and we will drop them all at once into the Sea of Dirac, and detonate them simultaneously, destroying the Angel. The Evangelions launch in 15 hours, 30 minutes."

"What about saving Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"What about the gravity well?" Mari asked.

"The gravity well should be neutralized by the A.T. Field." Ritsuko explained.

"What. About. Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Your plan doesn't exactly involve saving him, does it?! DOES IT?!"

"That kind of blast… the EVA wouldn't be able to hold up against that much power…" Misato said. "Ritsuko, what are you thinking? What the hell kind of rescue operation are you running?!" Misato asked. "I would never approve that plan."

"Well, thankfully, due to the regulations we have in place, I am in command of this operation, as this is no longer a tactical matter, because Evangelion recovery operations fall under my jurisdiction." Ritsuko said. "The plan has been approved by the U.N. which is all that matters, I am simply informing you as a courtesy. We will recover Unit–01, even if it destroyed in the process."

"You fucking bitch…" Asuka muttered.

"What was that, Asuka?" Ritsuko asked angrily.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Asuka screamed as she lunged forward, but was stopped by the quick reaction of Mari giving her a full nelson. "LET ME GO! I'M GOING TO KILL HER, MARI, JUST LET ME GO, AND I'LL FUCKING FIX HER ASS! THE LYING BITCH THAT SHE IS!"

"No, Asuka…" Mari said as she struggled to keep a thrashing Asuka in her grip. "I'm not letting you… I won't let you get in trouble because of that bitch."

"I DON'T CARE, I'M WANT TO HURT HER!" Asuka screamed. "SHE'S GOING TO KILL SHINJI! SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HIM AT ALL, SHE'S A HEARTLESS FUCKING CUNT! SHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE A.T. FIELD WOULD NEGATE THE FUCKING GRAVITY WELL BEFORE, BUT SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING! SHE SAID IT WAS HOPELESS, THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, SHE A FUCKING LIAR! SHE'S A FUCKING CUNT, AND I WANT TO KILL HER!"

"Asuka… stop!" Mari pleaded.

"NOT UNTIL I FEEL HER BLEED BENEATH MY FISTS!" Asuka roared. "SHE NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON… IN BLOOD!"

Ritsuko smirked. "Your outburst is laughable, Asuka. Go ahead, Mari, let her go, and she'll see her career as and Evangelion pilot go straight down the toilet."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT! I WOULD GIVE UP UNIT–02 TO HAVE SHINJI BACK!" Asuka screamed. "I WOULD RATHER TRADE YOUR WORTHLESS LIFE FOR HIS, AT LEAST HE'S KIND, UNLIKE YOU, YOU FUCKING COW!"

"Mari do not let her go." Misato said sternly as she stepped forward directly in front of Ritsuko and glared at her.

SLAP

Misato brought her hand so hard across Ritsuko's face, she knocked her to the ground, and caused blood to spirt from her mouth, and left a glaring red imprint on her face.

"How dare you!" Misato roared. "Not only are you taunting a girl who is clearly in distress, you have no regard for human life, you frigid fucking bitch!"

Ritsuko spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "I do, but the Evangelions always take precedence over the pilots." Ritsuko said. "A pilot is easy to replace, an Evangelion is not."

Misato stepped forward threateningly. "Why you…"

"Misato!" Kaji exclaimed. "Enough! She's not worth it. Leave it alone."

"Fine…" Misato said.

"You too, Asuka, stop." Kaji said sternly.

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO STOP TILL I BEAT HER TO A PULP!" Asuka screamed. "I WILL TOO, I CAN FEEL MARI'S GRIP SLIPPING, AND ONCE SHE LETS GO, HER ASS IS ALL FUCKING MINE!"

"Asuka, please calm down!" Kaji pleaded.

"Rei, help me out here!" Mari said. "I can't hold her much longer!"

Rei stepped forward and grasped the right side of Asuka's neck, and pinched it quite hard, and Asuka stopped struggling almost immediately, and fell unconscious. She almost slipped from Mari's grasp, but Mari held her up and kept her from falling.

"Asuka…" Kaji asked.

"The fuck was that, blueberry?" Mari asked.

"I saw it on a television show once." Rei replied. "It appears that the nerve pinch does in fact work. Quite surprising…"

"You saw it… on TV?" Mari asked.

"Yes, and it appears to have calmed Asuka down." Rei said. "She is no longer struggling, and she has stopped shouting."

"Fine, let's get her home." Mari said. "Can you help me?"

"Yes, I believe we can carry her together." Rei said. "But how will we get back to your apartment?"

"We'll just walk." Mari said. "It shouldn't take too long."

"Yes, but we have Asuka to carry." Rei said. "Perhaps someone could drive us."

"I don't really do cars, blueberry." Mari said.

"Why not?" Rei asked.

"It's a lot to explain…" Mari said.

"I'll get you three to the train station above one of the entrances. There's a loop line station only a few blocks from Misato's apartment." Kaji explained. "A few blocks won't be that bad, will it?"

"That is acceptable." Rei replied.

"Thanks, scruffy." Mari said.

"No, problem, let's go." Kaji said. "You too, Katsuragi, you have paperwork about the damaged section of the city. And don't you three have somewhere else to be?"

"Yeah, I have an analysis to conduct." Hyuga said hurrying out of the room.

"Sensor diagnostics." Aoba said excusing himself.

"I'll go prep the EVAs for tomorrow's launch." Maya said as she looked over at Ritsuko.

"Could I have some help up?" Ritsuko asked.

"No." Maya said bluntly as she left the room. As Kaji walked out, Misato took the opportunity for one last jab.

"Perhaps if you were nicer, people would be willing to help you." Misato said snidely.

"I wouldn't talk, Lieutenant Colonel." Ritsuko said. "Enjoy the rank while you have it, it won't last very much longer once the Commander hears about this."

"We'll see." Kaji said. "I'm sure the base will know soon enough about how much you value human life."

"Like those peons matter." Ritsuko said.

"You know, Asuka's right, you probably did know back then about the A.T. Field and the gravity well, the genius you are." Mari said angrily. "Problem is, why would you hide that information at the time…"

"Asuka called her a "heartless fucking cunt" I believe." Rei said quietly. "You will have to explain what that means Mari, as that last word is one I'm not familiar with."

"Yeah, blueberry, I'll explain it later." Mari said. "Come on, let's go…"

Ritsuko stood up as she was left alone in the briefing room. She looked over as everyone left the room. 'Well, I did have the idea before you stupid whore.' Ritsuko thought as Mari and Rei carried Asuka out of the room, and Mari gave her one last piercing glare. 'But it was far more enjoyable to watch you all fret over his well–being… this will show Gendo that ignoring me is a mistake, and show those whores that their fates are in my hands…'

–––

Shinji was relaxing in his darkened Entry Plug and looked at his plugsuit. There was a timer showing "15:11:38.71" and counting down steadily. Shinji sighed deeply and relaxed in his seat.

"Well, radar and everything is blank, and I have no idea where I even am, other than inside the Angel… I think…" Shinji said.

"Well… I'm really in it this time…" Shinji muttered. "Just over 15 hours left before I run out of life support power and well… die." Shinji sighed. "I didn't even get to tell Asuka how I felt about her… and I never will. It's not like I have any power to do anything in this, uh… place… or maybe hellhole is more appropriate."

Shinji lay back in his seat and tied to relax, but heard his stomach grumble. "Great… now I'm hungry… and I have to pee…"

–––

Kaji had gone back to HQ with Misato, and promised to return in the morning to fetch them all for the mission. So, undaunted by the walk, Mari carried Asuka gently on her shoulder as Rei followed her. When Mari and Rei got to the apartment, Asuka was still out cold. Mari and Rei gently laid her out on her bed, and decided that they too should go to bed.

"Blueberry, you'll sleep in my bed, and I'll go out to the couch." Mari said.

"I would much rather not be alone right now." Rei said. "Why can you not stay in bed with me, as you did with Shinji?"

"I'm… I'm not really in the mood to cuddle, blueberry, as cute as you are." Mari said.

"You think I am cute?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, you look a bit like Shinji, actually…" Mari said absentmindedly.

"Is Shinji also… cute?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, blueberry he is…" Mari said.

"So, if I am as cute as Shinji, why not simply cuddle with me if the effect is to comfort yourself against anxiety?" Rei asked.

Mari scratched her chin. "Well… when you put it that way, it's the only logical solution." Mari smiled a bit. "I guess we can cuddle…"

Mari and Rei got ready for bed and Mari shut off the light. She crawled into bed next to Rei ad put her back to her, assuming the small spoon position, and could feel her heart beating extraordinarily fast. 'Now I know how Shinji feels around Asuka…' Mari thought.

"What am I to do?" Rei asked. "How does one cuddle?"

"Just, hold me gently…" Mari said quietly. 'Like Yui once did…' Mari thought.

Rei wrapped her arms gently around Mari, avoiding her ample breasts. "Like this?" Rei asked politely.

"Exactly like that, blueberry." Mari replied.

"Mari, are you alright?" Rei asked. "I can feel your heart beating rapidly."

"I'm just upset…" Mari lied. "At Shinji being… you know…"

"Shinji will be alright." Rei said confidently. "He has survived much worse. He is very strong, even if he denies it, it is true."

"Do you like Shinji, Rei?" Mari asked.

"Do you mean romantically?" Rei asked.

"No… well, yes, I do." Mari said.

"I do not view Shinji that way." Rei said. "I thought I did at one point, but I was mistaken. I mistook his kindness for love, and I felt foolish for thinking that way. I have since figured out that I simply love him as a good friend, as I love you an Asuka the same way."

"Oh…" Mari said.

"I am capable of love." Rei said unexpectedly.

"I never doubted it." Mari said. "But why would you say that?"

"I think people believe I do not have emotions." Rei said. "I do experience them, however, many times before I met Shinji, I was confused and scared of them. But after becoming friends with Shinji… and after I felt his touch… things changed… I changed…" Rei sighed. "I know that before I made friends with everyone they viewed me as a freak, as many people still do… that makes me feel… sad. I dimply choose not to express my emotions all the time, that way I am not confused by them so much."

"Oh, blueberry, that's so sad…" Mari said tearfully.

"It is not sad, it just is." Rei said. "Right now, I feel very safe here with you and Asuka, and I wish Shinji were here so that he could enjoy this too."

"Yeah, so do I…" Mari said. "Goodnight blueberry… sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Mari." Rei said.

Several hours later, Mari woke up suddenly. She could hear Rei breathing quietly next to her, as Rei had rolled on the opposite direction, with her back to Mari.

'Oh well… it was nice while it lasted…' Mari thought. 'I should really ask her out… but I'm still conflicted… she just feels like Yui… she even held me the same way… her touch feels just like Yui too… I need to find out your secret Rei… why do you seem to be Yui…'

Mari looked over to Asuka's bed to see she was no longer in it. 'Where the hell…' Mari thought as she silently got up to go look for the anguished redhead. Mari crept slowly out of the room and went to the bathroom first, with no Asuka. She checked Misato's room and the veranda and found nothing. Mari stayed on the veranda and could see bright spotlights in the distance, trained on a large sphere, with several circling craft. 'Well, Shinji, in the morning, we'll get you out… don't worry…'

Mari leaned over the veranda and kept thinking. 'Well, either Asuka flew the coop trying to save Shinji herself or…' Mari thought, and then it hit her.

Mari went inside and went to Shinji's room. She quietly opened the door, and heard Asuka sobbing quietly. She crept inside and saw Asuka face down on his bed in what little light the room had to offer from a nightlight Shinji had put in.

"Asuka…" Mari whispered.

Asuka looked up and her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and she face was covered in tears and snot. "What… what do you want?" Asuka sobbed.

"I wondered where you went…" Mari said in a worried voice. "After today… I didn't… I was worried about you."

"Did you think I… ran away… like he did?" Asuka asked.

"No, I…" Mari said. "I don't know what I thought."

"Why did he have to do it?!" Asuka asked. "Why did he have to let it take him?!"

"He didn't have much choice…" Mari said. "And if he hadn't… we would've stayed there until it was too late… he saved us by sacrificing himself…"

"He shouldn't have done that… he shouldn't have pulled me out of there either… ti should be me in there, not him!" Asuka cried out. "It's my fault he's trapped!"

"Quiet down, you're going to wake up Rei." Mari said. "And to be fair, none of us should be in that thing. It's not your fault Asuka… and it's not his either… he just did what he had to do to save us… that's all."

"But I hate him for it!" Asuka said. "He always saves me, he never thinks about what could happen to him, and I can never return the favor, I'm always in his debt, I'm useless! He's brave and I'm a useless fucking loser! It is my fault, it's all my fucking fault!"

"No its not!" Mari said angrily as she sat down next to Asuka and hugged her. "It's not your fault Asuka… don't feel guilty about him saving you. He's just that kind of person, one of these days, you'll be able to repay him…"

"No I won't… I'm a horrible EVA pilot… I'm not special at all… I'm just useless…" Asuka said in a defeated tone.

SLAP

"Why did you slap me?" Asuka exclaimed while she nursed her cheek.

"I slapped you because you're ragging on yourself too much about something beyond your control." Mari said sternly as she enveloped Asuka in another hug. "I just wanted to snap you out of it. Now… stop with that quitter talk, princess." Mari said. "You love Shinji, and we will save him. That's just how it is."

"How… how are we going to save him?" Asuka asked.

"I have no idea, but I know we'll be able to save him, or he'll save himself…" Mari said. "You just have to have faith in the man you love."

"I do have faith in him… I just… what if he never comes back?" Asuka asked. "He never asked me out… he didn't even notice me! What about his birthday! He'll never see the cake I bought him, or the presents, he'll just… he'll just… BE DEAD!"

"Asuka, what did I say about you asking Shinji out…" Mari said. "If you didn't ask him, it's your own fault. And he's not going to die, so stop!"

"But… it's the man's job…" Asuka muttered. "And how do you know he's ok…"

"Asuka… I still have faith, and one of the days, we need to talk about or gender views, ok?" Mari asked. "But for now, we need to sleep… we need to be ready tomorrow, to save him. Then you can tell him how you feel."

"No, I can't tell him… I don't deserve someone as brave and stupid as him… he's too good for me…" Asuka said. "I'm not worth his time…I'm a coward… a lowly coward…"

"Asuka, get up." Mari said.

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"Because you're sleeping next to me and Rei in bed, come on." Mari said, as she dragged Asuka behind her.

"But it's too small…" Asuka moaned.

"No, you're getting squeezed between us so you can't get away again." Mari said. "You need to be with someone tonight, none of us should really be alone tonight…"

* * *

June 4, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Rei awoke to Asuka sleeping next to her, with Mari on the far end of the bed. They were all huddled quite close together, and when Rei started moving, Asuka and Mari also woke up.

"Morning all…" Mari yawned.

Asuka only moaned quietly in response.

"Good morning Mari…" Rei said. "I do not remember Asuka being here last night when we fell asleep. Did something occur?"

"Just that Asuka felt a bit lonely, so I offered her some comfort with us." Mari said.

"I hope you are feeling better, Asuka." Rei said.

"Yeah… I am…" Asuka said as she stretched. "I guess all I needed was to be near someone… if you had told me a year ago I'd need to be around people, I would have called you insane."

"I would have said the same, Asuka." Rei said. "Until Shinji arrived, I was alone… now I have many wonderful friends… it is wonderful to be so happy all the time."

"What about you, Mari?" Asuka asked.

"If you told me a year ago I'd be out of the abusive situation I was in, I would have thought I was dreaming…" Mari said. "That's why we need Shinji back… he's what brought us all together, for better or worse, we owe him for the friendships we have…"

"Indeed." Rei replied.

"Yeah…" Asuka said.

"Hello, I'm here!" Kaji called. "I brought breakfast!"

Mari sat straight up. "Oh, Kaji you're a life saver!" Mari called back to him.

"You know, there's another reason to get Shinji back…" Asuka said solemnly. "We can't cook worth a shit…"

"Well, we'll just have to tell him how much we all appreciate when we get him out of this." Mari said.

"Yeah, we will…" Asuka said.

"Come on guys, we have to leave in an hour, you need to get ready quickly!" Kaji called. "But breakfast first!"

"Hold your horses!" Asuka called back to him. "We're just waking up!"

"Fine, just don't take too long, Asuka." Kaji said. "You have a lost pilot to recover."

"We're acutely aware of that scruffy…" Mari said irately. "Why do think we're still in bed. We're not exactly feeling our best."

"I know, but you'll feel better when Shinji gets back." Kaji said. "Misato and I came up with a plan you can execute to stop Ritsuko's insanity."

Asuka jumped over Mari and right out of bed and ran to the kitchen with Mari and Rei following right behind her. "Why didn't you say so?!"

"You didn't ask." Kaji said. "Now, sit down and I'll explain what you have to do."

–––

Shinji sat quietly in the Entry Plug and looked extremely bored. "I never thought that sitting here and doing nothing would be so exhausting." Shinji said.

Shinji leaned forward and turned on the stems again, to check for any changes. "Still nothing…" Shinji sighed. "I wonder where the hell I am…"

Shinji looked at his plugsuit's display again, which showed "04:01:05.20" left in his life support. "So… only four hours left to live… at least I saved Asuka, Mari, and Rei from this fate. Especially Asuka… that's what really matters. I would anything to protect her… I would die if she got hurt… which considering where I am now… that's kind of ironic…"

Shinji shivered just a bit. "It's starting to get cold in here…" Shinji said quietly. "And I'm still hungry, but… I don't think I have to pee anymore…" Shinji sighed as he felt a warmth around him. "Nope… that fixed itself… at least its warmer in here now…"

–––

Misato and Kaji were in the EVA Cage watching as the girls were looking their EVAs over before launch. Kaji and Misato were off to the side, simply waiting.

"Ryoji… can we really get him back?" Misato asked.

"I don't know, Misato." Kaji replied. "But that plan we came up with should help."

"Well, Maya was convinced it could work, and Maya is smarter than Ritsuko, even if she doesn't show it she truly is a gifted young lady." Misato explained.

"You sounded almost like a proud parent there, Misato." Kaji said.

"Well, Maya wasn't exactly in a good place last night." Misato said. "We got to talking, and she was really broken up about what Ritsuko was suggesting. She knew Ritsuko was cold… but she didn't know that she was that heartless… I didn't either… not until then…"

"Hey, Misato, listen, whatever happened to Ritsuko, it obviously affected her." Kaji said.

"She was raped as a child." Misato said. "One of her mother's boyfriends or dates… she told that once, and it explains a lot, but it doesn't excuse her actions the other day."

"But why was Maya broken up about it?" Kaji said.

"Well, be nice when I tell you this, but Maya's… well… she had a crush on Ritsuko, a big one, and that all came crashing down yesterday." Misato explained.

"Wait, really?" Kaji asked. "I guess I should stop hitting on her then…"

"Not the time for a joke, mister." Misato said admonishingly. "But yes, and don't tell her I told you, she doesn't like people knowing."

"I won't, I know that's a touchy subject." Kaji said. "But how did you calm her down?"

"Well, I told her a two stories." Misato said. "One was something I didn't realize until the yesterday, and the other was to tell her how I understood."

"Well, what are they?" Kaji asked.

"Well… the first one is that… I think anyway… Ritsuko caused us to break up." Misato said. "She kept egging me on about asking you to say… you know… and she told me if I lied, it would help press the issue… that's the only reason I did that stupid fucking thing… and I hate myself for listening to her."

"Well… come to think of it, she kept hinting you were cheating on m." Kaji said. "But I didn't say anything, because she's your best friend."

"Was my best friend." Misato said. "After that outburst yesterday, I'm starting to understand why Asuka and Mari distrust her… even Shinji is wary of her… and we discounted them for being kids."

"Well, it tends to happen that way." Kaji said. "At least we know now. But what was the other story you told Maya? Was it also about Ritsuko?"

"No… that one I don't want to talk about." Misato said.

"Why not?" Kaji asked.

"It's… it's not something I think you'd understand." Misato said.

"Try me, Misato, I'm not dumb you know." Kaji said. "You can trust me, can't you?"

"Alright… so I told Maya about my first ever relationship." Misato explained.

"I don't see how our relationship… oh… ohhh…" Kaji said. "Ok, go on…"

"Well, her name was Kotomi Amagi." Misato said as Kaji listened intently. "She was my best friend in high school. One day, after we started discussing Second Impact in class, and people started throwing rumors around about me, she was worried for me. After that, she took me home and held me all night, but sometime while we were talking, I mentioned I'd never been kissed, and then she asked if I'd like to try it, and I say why not… and then we went from kissing playfully that night to having some awkward teenaged sex on my living room floor… and after that, we secretly started dating… she really made me feel special… and we quietly broke up a few years later… I really did love her… and I still do a bit."

"Misato, why didn't you tell me that before?" Kaji asked.

"I was embarrassed and thought you'd leave me if I did." Misato said.

"Well, I you shouldn't be." Kaji said kindly. "Love is love, no matter who its between. I would never mock you for that. So, where is she now?"

"I don't know, we lost touch awhile back… but I did see her during my time at the M.I.T. Branch in the States… she looked happy." Misato said. "She's busy though, but she'll answer the occasional e–mail."

"Well, maybe if she ever transfers here, you set her up with Maya." Kaji said. "Seeing as she's so nice, maybe she'll be good for Maya."

"I don't want to get involved." Misato said.

"Wait, really?" Kaji asked as he felt her forehead. "You don't feel sick."

"I just don't…" Misato mumbled.

"Misato, it's a friend helping out a friend." Kaji said. "Just be nice about it, maybe things will work out for Maya. She's cute and deserves to be happy."

"Fine…" Misato said. "I guess I should help her out."

"Good, but how did she come up with her plan?" Kaji asked.

"Well, she looked over Ritsuko's data and realized that the A.T. Fields would be enough to dampen the effects of… uh… whatever it is, and boom." Misato explained. "She came up with the bomb things for the EVAs to carry on their legs, to be launched into the void and detonated, and then that should start to collapse the thing without nuking the fucking hell out of it."

"Well, it sounds like a good plan." Kaji said. "I'm sure it'll work."

"It has to, Ryoji." Misato said. "Otherwise we'll lose Shinji forever…"

–––

Shinji had fallen asleep and awoke to unfamiliar, yet familiar surroundings. Instead of the Entry Plug he was expecting, he was inside a train car. He was sitting across from someone else. It looked like the girl from his dreams. She had a beautiful head of red hair, large breasts, and a smile.

" _Hello there._ " The redheaded girl said.

"Hello…" Shinji said. "Who are you?"

" _I am something you want desperately._ " The girl said. " _Something that you want to be happy with, even though it no longer exists._ "

"What?" Shinji asked.

" _I am your hopes and dreams for love, Shinji Ikari._ " The girl said.

"Wait, what?" Shinji said. "I love Asuka, why would you matter?"

" _So you do not know…_ " The girl said as she change forms into a younger Shinji. " _How sad for you…_ "

"What… what are you?" Shinji asked.

" _I am what you call an Angel._ " Leliel said. " _I am Leliel. Won't you be my friend?_ "

"But aren't we enemies?" Shinji asked. "Didn't you capture me?"

" _I only took you because I was lonely._ " Leliel said. " _Loneliness is such a sad feeling… why do humans feel?_ "

"I don't know…" Shinji said. "I guess because that is how we live life. To experience our emotions."

" _That is silly. Why would anyone elect to feel badly all the time?_ " Leliel asked.

"We don't feel lonely all the time." Shinji said. "There are times it happens, and others where we feel joy."

" _Why go through the bad portions though?_ " Leliel asked. " _I do not understand._ "

"To enjoy the good parts even more… to appreciate them." Shinji said.

" _So, Shinji, are you happy?_ " Leliel asked.

"Not right now really. I miss my friends." Shinji said. "I hope they aren't worried about me too much."

" _You do not need our friends, Shinji._ " Leliel said. " _I will be your friend. You don't need them anymore… that Asuka does not like you, and if you go back, you will be ad and lonely. If you stay here…_ " Leliel changed shape to a nude form of Asuka, uncrossing her legs to expose Asuka to him and Shinji promptly shut his eyes. Leliel than continued to speak in Asuka's voice " _You can be with Asuka forever and not have to worry. You can do all the dirty things you've thought about in your mind for months on end, and you'll never be tired, and she'll always be receptive for you… I will let you do all of that to me…_ "

"No!" Shinji shouted. "You're not Asuka! I'm not like that, and I won't be your friend!"

" _So be it…_ " Leliel said. " _You cannot escape… so you should simply give in and become my friend forever…._ "

"NO, I WOULD NEVER BE FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!" Shinji screamed.

" _You will in time…_ " Leliel purred. " _I have you trapped here forever, you cannot escae, and you will become my friend… and we will be together forever…_ "

Leliel raised her arm flexed her hand, forcing Shinji's eyes open, making him look at Asuka's body. Shinji screamed out in as he tried to look away, but Leliel used its psychic powers to hold his head in place

" _Look at me Shinji… look at what could be yours… all yours for the taking…_ " Leliel purred. " _You can do what you wish, I will even put up a struggle if you want, I can pretend to be afraid of you…_ "

"No, I'm not like that! I love Asuka, and you're not her! She's kind and she's smart, and she would never act like this!" Shinji screamed. "Get away from me you freak!"

" _Name calling isn't very nice, Shinji Ikari…_ " Leliel said. " _But no matter, if you won't take me, I'll just have to take you…_ " Leliel moved forward towards Shinji quite seductively. " _You may not enjoy this, but I will…_ "

"No, get away from me!" Shinji screamed. "NOOOOOOO!"

As Leliel began unzipping his pants, Shinji saw a bright light envelope Leliel, saw a flash of pale blue, and heard a loud passing train whistle and then awoke again to the clouded Entry Plug, breathing quite heavily.

"What the fuck was that?" Shinji asked himself. "Was that real… or just a dream?"

–––

Ritsuko stood behind Hyuga, Aoba and Maya as the main displays screen was brought online to focus on Leliel.

"Lieutenant Aoba, contact the U.N. and JSSDF, tell them to launch the Seraphim Strike Group." Ritsuko ordered.

"Understood." Aoba replied. "Relaying the order."

"Lieutenant Hyuga, bring the AIS online, and train all weapons on the target." Ritsuko said.

"Ma'am, I don't want to countermand you, but isn't that slightly excessive considering the payload about to be dropped?"

"Lieutenant, you are expected to follow orders, not question them, is that understood?" Ritsuko said plainly.

"Yes, _ma'am_." Hyuga said. "Is there anything else, _ma'am_?"

"Yes, set the launch paths for the three Evangelions." Ritsuko said. "Maya…"

"Ma'am could you please refer to me as Lieutenant Ibuki." Maya said.

Ritsuko was silent for a moment, as she was caught off guard by Maya's request. "Alright… Lieutenant Ibuki, move the Evangelions to the launch platforms when ready, and set an automatic launch clock for 4 minutes." Ritsuko ordered.

"Understood, ma'am." Maya said. "You know, ma'am, there is still time to call this off and find another way. Shinji doesn't need to die this way."

"Ibuki… as I said yesterday, Shinji knew the risks of getting in an Evangelion, and he seemed to accept them with his actions then, so this plan, whether anyone likes it or not, is going forward." Ritsuko said angrily. "Now get the EVAs to the launch platforms immediately, we are on a tight timetable. I've moved up the attack schedule 5 minutes. That will allow Shinji the minimum amount of time to react and evade the attack."

"Or so you assume…" Maya grumbled.

"I do not assume, Lieutenant Ibuki, I know." Ritsuko said. "Shinji is an adequate pilot, he should be able to do something. And as everyone kept saying, he's always finding ways out of tight spots."

"Well, generally speaking ma'am, we don't make the spots tighter for him." Hyuga said.

"Yeah, we sort of give him a little extra room rather than choking it all off." Aoba added.

"Enough chit chat!" Ritsuko said angrily. "My decision is final, now carry out your orders and enact the plan given to you!"

"Understood." The bridge bunnies replied as they returned to work.

–––

Shinji looked around his Entry Plug and shivered profusely. He was still shaken from his visit from Leliel. He noticed that flecks and chunks of LCL were different colors, and the emergency lights around him flickered.

"It's getting really… cold… in here. Eve my plugsuit feels… cold and unforgiving…" Shinji stammered. "I think the purification system must have shut off… meaning there can only be minutes left till I die…"

Shinji looked at the plugsuit's time again to see "00:06:00.00" remaining. "So… that's all I have left… six minutes and I die… unless…"

Shinji looked around the Entry Plug again. "I don't know if you can hear me Unit–01… but I need your help again… I don't want to die… I want to see Asuka again, the real Asuka, not that… not that fake! I want to earn her trust, and her love! Please… please help me get back there. Please!"

As if by magic, the Entry plug turned back on, and the display came back online. Shinji felt Unit–01 begin to move of its own accord and Shinji grabbed the control yokes to hold on.

"Good, now that you're awake, let's get out of here before the freak comes back." Shinji said. "And thank you Unit–01… thank you for being there when I needed it most…"

Shinji felt a warmth envelope him, and even though he could not hear it, the soul of his mother spoke to him.

" _My Shinji, how you have grown. You're much different than when you stepped into the cockpit last year… you're confident and happy instead of sad and alone. You_

 _'ve mad friends with someone I thought to be gone forever, and you've shown her what true happiness is, you've brought Rei out of her sell, and made Asuka less hostile towards others… you are a wondrous boy, and you've brought so many people together. I am so very proud of you, my son._ " Yui said. " _Soon you will be able to hear me, and when that happens, then I will be able to tell you how proud I am of you… then you will know that I've been here all along… now Shinji… let's get you back to the girl you love, and to the girl that loves me… and to the girl that is me…_ "

Shinji could hear something from the outside of the EVA, a familiar sound and he smirked knowing he was once again safe in his Evangelion's hands.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––

Asuka was gripping her control yokes very tightly. She was peering around and looking at the void for any signs of change. She glanced over and saw Unit–00 and Unit–XP standing not that far from her, A.T. Fields at maximum, waiting to begin their plot to save Shinji.

"Mari, you there?" Asuka asked.

" _Yep…_ " Mari said.

"Rei?" Asuka asked.

" _Yes, I am here as well, Asuka._ " Rei replied.

"I believe it's time to make it rain…" Asuka said.

" _Blood or tears?_ " Mari asked.

" _Blood I presume…_ " Rei replied.

" _What are you chattering about out there?!_ " Ritsuko asked angrily. "Focus on your task!"

"Yeah, you can go to hell, Akagi!" Asuka shouted. "Now you guys!"

" _Yea, suck my dick, Akagi!_ " Mari shouted as all three Evangelions deployed an electromagnetic field modulator into the void. Moments later, the ground shook and the black void fractured like tempered glass, spraying red chunks of blood everywhere.

"What the fuck is that?!" Asuka screamed. "What the hell is going on?!"

" _It's got to be Shinji!_ " Mari cried out.

" _Yes… but how…_ " Rei asked.

"Who cares, at least he's alive!" Asuka cried.

–––

In Central Dogma, everyone was in shock at what was happening, as several alarms began wringing, including one that was detecting a fifth A.T. Field.

"What the hell did they do?!" Ritsuko screamed.

"They enacted my tactical plan, Akagi!" Maya said. "I thought of something to save Shinji, but it shouldn't be doing this…."

"Aoba, I'm ordering the N2 strike, do it now!" Ritsuko said. "Drop everything!"

"Belay that order, Aoba!" Misato said. "That is Unit–01 attempting to destroy the Angel, putting this operation back under my jurisdiction. Aoba, tell those planes to go land. They won't be using their little toys bombs today!"

"Yes, Colonel, right away!" Aoba said as he grabbed the phone.

"Maya, confirm its Unit–01." Misato ordered.

"Right away ma'am!" Maya replied eagerly.

"Misato, stop this at once!" Ritsuko said. "This is my…"

"Unfortunately not anymore, Dr. Akagi…" Gendo said from behind them all. "I apparently missed some important happenings while I was away. However, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi is correct, this operation is hers to command, the N2 strike will be halted."

"Commander…" Ritsuko mumbled.

"Katsuragi, carry out your plan." Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki said.

"Yes, sir!" Misato said.

–––

All three girls looked on in awe as Leliel's black void continued to fracture and bleed, showing that either Shinji or Unit–01 was pulling off some kind of miracle. Asuka was smiling from ear to ear as everything went on around her.

"Come on, Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Get back here already!"

" _Yeah, puppy, come on, get the fuck out of there!_ " Mari cried.

" _Shinji, please be ok…_ " Rei said.

Suddenly, the sphere above the void flickered and began to turn black as well, losing its dazzle pattern. Suddenly, it began budging out oddly in places, as if something inside was struggling to be free.

A slit in the side began to open up, and it bled profusely. As an arm shot out from the wound, forcing it open further, causing more blood to shoot out in a massive red torrent. As the red mist continued to stream from the black sphere, the perpetrator became visible to all, and covered and dripping in crimson blood was Unit–01, roaring powerfully as the Angel was tore apart around her. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Unit–01 ripped the sphere in half and jumped down, landing on its right fist in a crouched position, obliterating the remnants of the black void with its impact and spraying blood everywhere in the vicinity, covering the other Evangelions in the crimson remains.

"SHINJI!" Asuka cried as tears escaped from her eyes. "You did it! You came back!"

" _I hope he is alright…_ " Rei said.

" _He's ok, blueberry!_ " Mari said happily. " _He's back safely!_ "

" _Good job, Shinji…_ " Kaji said.

" _But how did he do it?_ " Ritsuko muttered.

"It doesn't matter to me, he's ok and that's all that matters." Misato said. " _Send in the recovery teams immediately. Extract Unit–01's pilot now!_ "

Unit–01 stood up proudly and looked up at the sky letting out one more awesome cry. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

* * *

June 5, 2016 – NERV HQ

Gendo was sitting in his office angrily. He was staring down Ritsuko, who was sitting nervously across from him.

"Explain yourself." Gendo said sternly.

"What do you mean?" Ritsuko asked nervously.

"What led you to make the inane decisions you made while Fuyutsuki and myself were away." Gendo said. "How did you possibly think your decisions were the correct ones?"

"I was simply following your directive to recover the Evangelions at all cost." Ritsuko said. "The plan was tailored to recover Unit–01, as you directed."

"I also directed you to protect the pilot's lives as well, or did that slip your mind as well." Gendo said angrily.

"I was simply worried about the Evangelion." Ritsuko said. "I did not think about any other directives you may have given, as I only remember the one about protecting Unit–01 at all costs. I was also worried about destroying the Angel as well."

"I do find it hard to believe someone as intelligent as you forgot something as simple as protecting the pilots." Gendo said. "And how you thought you could pull off something as reckless as endangering Shinji in such a way is unfathomable. Now, I don't understand why you'd do this."

"Why do you think, Gendo?" Ritsuko asked. "Perhaps it was because you refuse to be near me! Or perhaps it's those rotten whores defying me at every turn!"

"So… you feel slighted and then decide the appropriate action is to intentionally endanger my son, the other pilots, and the inhabitants of this city to get back at me and two teenaged girls?" Gendo asked. "That seems like a very childish thing to do for attention."

"It was not childish!" Ritsuko shouted. "I was simply doing my best with what information I had! Shinji knew the risks!"

"Yes, I know this part, Ritsuko. I was informed of Ms. Soryu's outburst the other day in response to your… lack of empathy." Gendo explained. "I am forced, under the circumstances to agree with Ms. Soryu's assessment that you knew the A.T. Field would counteract the gravity well. I know you are as well versed in that science as I am, and I am astonished you did not suggest it sooner, but waited until after it would have made a difference. We know the Angel's levitate by using the A.T. Field, so logically, it would make sense to try that wouldn't it?"

"No, it would not have worked, Shinji…" Ritsuko started.

"Shinji has the highest sync score, ergo the strongest possible A.T. Field." Gendo said, cutting her off. "Therefore, if any of the four of them could do it, it would be Shinji."

"I…" Ritsuko stammered.

"Do you have nothing to say for yourself?" Gendo asked.

"No, I don't." Ritsuko said. "I stand by my decision. I got a private conversation with you, so the idea was not totally wasted."

"Well then, you're not going to like what happens next." Gendo said. "In order to face the consequences of your actions, you are being put on administrative leave indefinitely until you go and apologize to each person you effected. Why this punishment you ask? Because I know how incapable you are of taking responsibility for your actions."

"You're right, I hate this punishment." Ritsuko said.

"You will also no longer be of any sexual use to me after this." Gendo said. "If you want that privilege back, you'll compete your penance for your actions."

"What?" Ritsuko asked.

"You go and apologize to the pilots, to Katsuragi, and to the main bridge crew for your inane plans, and then you will your job, and myself back. Until then, you are out of luck, and have no pay." Gendo said. "Is that understood?"

"Yes sir, it is." Ritsuko said. "But what about Colonel Katsuragi assaulting me?"

"Colonel Katsuragi will not be disciplined on that matter, Dr. Akagi. Considering the circumstances, and what Ms. Soryu had threatened to do, I think you got off quite easy with a simple slap to the face." Gendo said calmly. "You did deserve far worse however, and I believe the young girl would have delivered on her promise."

"I'm sure the little bitch would have…" Ritsuko muttered.

"Enough." Gendo said sternly. "Now, is there anything else, Dr. Akagi?"

"No, sir." Ritsuko said.

"Good." Gendo snapped his fingers and Kaji walked in. "I thought it would be nicer to have a friend escort you off the premises after you collect some things."

"So… so soon?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes, I wish to not belabor this issue." Gendo said. "I have many more important things to deal with, like finding a temporary replacement in your absence… so if I were you, I'd get to apologizing. Perhaps Mr. Kaji would be a good starting point to practice on."

Kaji stood behind Ritsuko firmly and looked at her. "Come on Ritsuko, let's go."

"Fine, but I know the way." Ritsuko said.

"Sure you do, you work here, remember?" Kaji joked.

Ritsuko stormed out of the office, followed by an amused Kaji while Gendo looked on and smirked mercilessly. "That will teach her to get out of line again… and to never put my plans of instrumentality in danger again."

* * *

June 6, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Shinji was laying peacefully in a hospital bed. He had not woken up since being found in his Entry Plug unconscious. However, since being out in his room the previous day after being removed from the ICU, Asuka, Mari and Rei had flatly refused to leave his side. They had each been talking to him to wake him up, but had not been successful.

Seeing as the girls had been wake since the morning Unit–01 ripped its way out of Leliel, they were understandably exhausted, and when Shinji stirred and began to wake up, he saw Mari and Rei sleeping on each other's shoulders next to his bed, and he saw Asuka passed out near his legs, drooling silently onto his bed sheets.

Shinji shifted himself to a sitting position and disturbed Asuka slumber. She looked up tiredly and saw that he was awake, and a large smile crossed her face.

"SHINJI!" Asuka shouted. "You're awake!" Asuka bounded onto the bed and hugged him awkwardly, and in doing so, sunk her knee into his groin quite hard.

"Ow!" Shinji cried out.

"What's wrong?" Asuka asked as she looked down and noticed what she had done. "Sorry… I didn't meant to do that… are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Shinji said.

"Good." Asuka said, the smile disappearing from her face. "You stupid idiot!" Asuka shouted as she slapped the top of Shinji's head. "Don't you dare do that again! Don't you dare play the hero and say goodbye to everyone you selfish jerk! We were all worried sick about you! And then you come out and wake up all smiling without knowing what you did! We thought you were dead, and you almost were!"

Mari grabbed Asuka's wrists. "Asuka, stop slapping him… he gets it."

"No, he needs to be hit a little bit more!" Asuka said angrily. "He made us all worry for him, the big dumb idiot!"

"You did make her cry, Shinji…" Mari said.

"Asuka… cried… over me?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, we all cried about you dummy." Mari said. "Alright, finish slapping him, Asuka."

"Fine." Asuka said as she smacked his head one more time. "I hope you learned your lesson to not do that again. Don't be so selfish… if you died, we'd have really missed you, dummkopf…"

"Ow…" Shinji said. "Why did you hit me so many times?"

"You said you were alright, so I figured you deserved your punishment now!" Asuka said as she hugged him again. "I'm just glad your back with us Shinji… we missed you."

"I missed you guys too." Shinji said. "And I promise it won't happen again."

"That is nice to hear." Rei said. "I would have been most unhappy if you died."

"So, what did you see in there, anything?" Mari asked.

"No… it was just lonely." Shinji replied.

"Liar." Mari said. "I don't believe you."

"Wha…" Shinji said.

"Yeah, you always look down when you're hiding something… spill…" Asuka said.

"But I…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, please tell us." Rei said.

"Fine, but I don't want you to tell anyone, ok? Please just promise me that." Shinji said. "And please, don't get mad… what I have to say isn't very fun…"

"We promise." Mari said.

"I won't tell anyone." Asuka said.

"I know how to keep something a secret." Rei replied.

"Ok, well, the Angel wanted to be my friend… it said it was lonely and that I was unhappy." Shinji explained. "The Angel said its name was Leliel… it tried to convince me to stay there forever to be its friend. When I said no, Leliel took… your forms… and tried to make me look at your… n… n… naked… bodies…" Shinji stammered through that part. "I kept my eyes closed, but they forced them open… and I'm… sorry… I didn't mean to see… I was forced…"

"So the Angel mind raped you?" Asuka asked. "But why the naked bodies?"

"Yeah… I guess…" Shinji said. "Leliel said that I could whatever wanted… forever… and I said no… that… that I'm not that kind of person to take advantage of someone like that. I was scared, guys, I thought it was going to rape me for real…"

Mari squeezed in on the hug Asuka had enveloped him in, and held them both tight. "It happens sometimes, Shinji… you can't avoid torture like that."

"Yes, Shinji, you did not imagine any of that, so it is not your fault." Rei said.

'So, he finally saw me naked…but I don't deserve to be seen by him… I'm not good enough for someone as brave as Shinji…' Asuka thought. "Did you think I… looked nice?" Asuka asked. "When it uh… took my form?"

"What?" Mari asked. "Seriously princess, why?"

"I'm curious." Asuka said. "I'm allowed to be aren't I?"

"I suppose…" Mari said as she shook her head.

"I… uh… I though you looked… uh… really nice Asuka…" Shinji said quietly.

"Pervert." Asuka shoved him jokingly as she kissed him on the cheek. "You looked."

"Sorry…" Shinji said.

"Don't be." Asuka said. "Like Mari said, it's not your fault. At least the Angel made me look good though." Asuka laughed. "Shinji, really, don't worry, I'm really not mad."

Shinji smiled. "Ok, Asuka, I'm glad." Shinji looked at all of them. "So, remember what you promised."

"We won't tell a soul." Asuka said.

"No one needs to know." Mari replied.

"I do not remember having a conversation regarding the matter." Rei said.

"Good." Shinji said as he smiled. "So, I have a few questions."

"Shoot." Mari said.

"What day is it exactly? How long was I gone? How long have I been here? What happened while I was gone?"

"Oh, that's easy to explain." Mari explained. "After you went quietly into the void, Asuka threw a fit wanting to get you back. That cunt Akagi came up with a plan that would have dropped 992 N2 warheads into the void simultaneously, not really caring about your life at all really. Asuka threatened to kill her, and oh, miso slapped that bitch so hard she fell down. Then Maya came up with a plan to save you, and then you sort of ripped your way out… and that's all that happened while you were gone, and that was all two days ago…"

"Asuka were you really that upset?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, I was I wanted to rip her heart out and shove it up her tight ass!" Asuka said angrily. "But Mari held me back… and Misato handled her."

"Thanks Asuka…" Shinji said quietly. 'Wow, Asuka… you care about me… but I don't deserve you… not when I have such dirty thoughts about you.' Shinji thought. 'You deserve better than some dumb pervert like me…'

"Your welcome, baka." Asuka said sweetly as she continued to hug him with Mari.

"Hey, blueberry, join in the hug." Mari asked.

"I would rather not." Rei said. "I do not wish to crush Shinji."

"Oh, yeah…" Mari said as she and Asuka let go and decided to lay next to him instead, with Asuka sitting down on the bed.

"You answered part of my question, but what day is it?" Shinji asked.

"You do not know already?" Rei asked.

"No… that's why I asked." Shinji said.

"Dummkopf… it's your birthday." Asuka said.

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, but we're disappointed." Mari said.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Because, Asuka's surprise party was ruined." Mari said.

"Bitch!" Asuka shouted. "You're not supposed to tell him!"

"I didn't see the harm." Mari said. "Kaji said they should be back in a few minutes. They have news too apparently about the party."

"Asuka it was really nice of you to set that up." Shinji said. "Maybe you can try again next year with the surprise party."

"Well, I only did it because you threw me such a wonderful party…" Asuka said sadly. "I even convinced Hikari to cook too…"

"Asuka, don't feel bad." Shinji said. "It's ok… things happen."

"Well, they shouldn't happen like this." Asuka said sullenly. "You deserve a nice party like we got… it's only fair."

"Asuka, life isn't fair." Shinji said. "I learned that a long time ago. But even so… I still appreciate the thought, that's what matters more."

"Thanks…" Asuka said quietly.

"Hey guys, we're back…" Misato said as she came in the room with Kaji. "Shinji! You're awake! You're ok!" Misato bounded forward and knocked both Asuka and Mari from the bed as she hugged Shinji. "Oh, you're in big trouble mister! You shouldn't worry people like that…"

"Miso, enough." Mari said as she picked herself up off the floor. "Asuka already slapped him senseless for being a hero."

"What, she did?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, I did." Asuka replied as she stood back up. "He's learned his lesson, haven't you, baka."

"Yeas I have…" Shinji said quietly.

"Good, Shinji." Kaji joked. "That'll show you that being a big hero in a giant robot isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"I guess…" Shinji said.

"So, how was everyone?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, what did you tell them?" Asuka asked.

"The truth. I didn't see any harm in telling them. I'm sure you've told them more than they needed to know already." Misato said. "They were all heartbroken that they'd miss your birthday. Hikari left all the food in the fridge though, said she'd make fresh for the party when it's rescheduled, and that you don't have to cook now for a while. Oh, and we tried to bring them along to see you, but it's for employees only."

"But they send along the warmest of regards to your speedy recovery." Kaji said. "We also brought these." Kaji produced a bag of gifts. "They said they'd give you your presents later, but these were under Asuka and Mari's beds. Rei, we also snuck into your place to grab what you told us to… you really need to lock the door."

"It is fine, no one bothers me." Rei said.

"Rei, it's about simple safety, we don't want you to get hurt or anything." Kaji said. "Please, just lock the door, ok?"

"Yes, sir." Rei replied.

"What are those…" Shinji asked.

"Your presents from us, puppy." Mari said.

"Yeah, did you think we didn't buy you anything?" Asuka asked.

"No I just didn't expect…" Shinji stammered. "I didn't expect you to bring the presents here that's all."

"Oh, well, surprise, baka." Asuka joked.

"Ok, so we'll leave you kids to it." Kaji said. "Come on Misato, let's head out."

"Yeah, yeah." Misato said as she kissed Shinji on the forehead. "See you later Shinji."

"Bye Misato, bye Kaji." Shinji said.

"Hey, wait, before you guys go, what was the big news?" Mari asked.

"Ohhh… that." Kaji said. "Well, Ritsuko's been suspended from her job until she apologizes to all of you, Shinji included. She's already apologized to me, Misato, Hyuga, and Aoba. But I guess she's afraid of Asuka and Mari hurting her, and Maya is actively avoiding her as much as she can."

"I should avoid her too." Asuka said. "I hope she gets fired."

"Asuka, be nice." Kaji said. "Ritsuko is worse at apologies than you are, so if she apologizes, just accept it and move on."

"But she almost killed Shinji!" Asuka said angrily. "Why should I accept that kind of apology from her?!"

"Asuka, it's the nice thing to do." Shinji said. "Be the better person. I bet she expects you to refuse her apology, so surprise her by accepting it graciously and moving on."

"Wow, Shinji…" Asuka said. "I guess you're right… but I don't have to like it!"

"Of course not." Shinji said.

"But you can enjoy the look of shock on her face when you do it." Mari quipped.

"See, just be nice." Kaji said as he went to the door. "Alright, bye all!"

"Later." Misato said as she departed with Kaji.

"Excuse me, Misato?" Rei asked. "Do you know when they will release Shinji?"

"Oh, uh probably tomorrow or Wednesday." Misato said. "I'm hoping for tomorrow."

"So am I." Shinji said. "I want to go home."

"I know you do." Misato said. "I'll see what I can do to move things along."

"Thanks, Misato." Shinji said.

As the adults left the room, the girls go back to focusing on Shinji. Asuka grabbed the bag and handed out the presents to their owners. Mari thrust her present quite forcibly under Shinji's nose before anyone else could react.

"Mine first!" Mari said. "Open it, puppy!"

"Alright, Mari." Shinji said. "Just relax…"

Shinji opened the package to reveal a new PS Vita with _Need for Speed Most Wanted_ and _Tetris Ultimate_. "Wow, Mari, this looks really cool… thank you…" Shinji said.

"It's no problem." Mari said shrugging her shoulders. "I wasn't sure what games to buy you, so I got those two. I think you'll like them."

"Thanks Mari." Shinji said as he put the box down.

"May I go next?" Rei asked.

"Sure, Rei." Asuka said.

"I actually have something for each of you." Rei said. "When Mari took me to the mall, I bought these as the presents for your birthdays. I do hope you like them."

Rei handed out small packages to each of them. They each opened the wrapping to find the same thing… a picture of the four of them Kaji had taken a few months previously. The y all looked extremely happy in the picture. What else what interesting where the fact that each of them had an identical frame that said "My Best Friends" on the frame in several languages.

"Wow, Rei, this is really nice!" Mari said.

"Yeah, it's really sweet." Shinji said. "Thank you Rei."

"Yeah, Rei, this is…" Asuka said. "…wunderbar…"

"Thankyou." Rei said, blushing slightly. "But I do have another gift for Shinji." Rei said as she produced another small package. "Here you go, Shinji."

Shinji unwrapped it to find a purple, digital, multipurpose watch.

"Rei, that's really thoughtful." Shinji said.

"Oh… I am glad you like it." Rei said. "I know that Mari bought you a very nice watch for Christmas, but I thought considering our profession as Evangelion pilots that a more rugged watch that resists water would be more appropriate for everyday wear." Rei smiled. "It also has a function to track time around the world, a stopwatch and several alarms."

"Nice thinking blueberry." Mari said.

"Yeah…" Asuka said. "I wish I had thought of that…"

"I'm sure whatever you got me was really heartfelt Asuka." Shinji said. "You gave me such wonderful presents at Christmas."

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, really." Shinji said.

"Well, seeing as you're so appreciative… here's what I got you…" Asuka said, pushing her gift towards him. "I hope you like it as much as you liked your other presents."

Shinji opened the box and pulled off the tissue paper covering the gifts. Inside the box were six plushies of Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, Snorlax, Lapras, and Pikachu. Shinji looked at each one and smiled.

"Asuka these are wonderful." Shinji said. "Thank you."

"I thought they would go well with your collection, Shinji." Asuka said. "But compared to everyone else's gifts, I don't think I got you enough…"

"Asuka, you got me more than I could have ever asked for." Shinji said. "Asuka, I liked your gifts as much as Mari and Rei's. Every time I see these, I'll think of you…"

"Really, Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, I know better than to lie to you and risk your wrath." Shinji said.

"Well, I guess I may call you stupid a lot, but you're not really stupid are you?" Asuka asked.

"I'd have to say he's not." Mari said. "He knows that if he lies to you, you'll beat him senseless, princess."

"I wouldn't hurt him… that much…" Asuka joked.

"Wow, you guys are a lot friendlier than I remember…" Shinji said. "Are you sure I've only been asleep a few days?"

"Let's just say we got to know each other better because you went missing, puppy." Mari said.

"You sound like you're not pleased we're finally getting along." Asuka said.

"It not that I'm not pleased." Shinji said "I just never thought it was possible."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 85.1% (+0.8%)  
Asuka – 79.7% (+1.5%)  
Mari – 76.7% (+1.7%)  
Rei – 73.3% (+1.5%)

Well, there is that chapter done and done. I decided early on that this chapter would have very little similarity to the episode Leliel appears in, besides Shinji being captured, and his interactions with Leliel, this is where things begin to majorly diverge, as events now will still be somewhat recognizable, but still vastly different from established canon.

Once again, relationship woes for Shinji and Asuka. Asuka feels she is not worthy of Shinji the hero, whereas she feels herself to be useless on the battlefield, beginning a downward spiral that we see in the show. Obviously this is precipitated by being both in love and jealous with Shinji. Shinji on the other hand feel guilty for having impure thoughts of Asuka, and does not the he deserves her after betraying a trust to not be a pervert in regards to her. They both cannot get out of their own way, and Leliel certainly added to their anxiety level about their love for each other.

As for the changes to Leliel, it's the only Angel modification I see myself doing. Every other Angel was threatening in its own right, except this one. Add in a gravity field (which Ritsuko explained, and is further explained on my thread at the evageeks forums), now Leliel is terrifying by using gravity to suck you in like a black hole.

Now, Maua losing faith in Ritsuko, and Ritsuko's utter disregard for Shinji are two things I wanted to expand on. First, Maya did love/like Ritsuko until now, hence the familiarity between the two. However, after this, Maya sees her as a bad person. As for Ritsuko's utter lack of humanity, she's fucked up in this story, very fucked up. She is getting back at Gendo for not banging her, Asuka and Mari for disobeying her, and to Shinji for being friends with two "whores." This is leading up to the point where Ritsuko completely loses her shit, and I need it to be believable in the end. She will recover a bit from this, but she'll be isolated, which will only deepen her issues.

Alright, so Kotomi Amagi. She was introduced as a character in Episode II, to be Misato's best friend, and was supposed to be someone like Hikari. Kind, considerate, very loyal to her friends, but she was also a lesbian. I've kept this quiet for a while, and drew parallels to Misato and Kotomi's relationship and Misato and Kaji's relationship. Basically, after Kotomi comforted Misato he day she found out about her secret, they began talking and started a secret, but very loving relationship that fully drew Misato from her shell. They broke up amicably just before they graduated high school and wished each other the best. Kotomi will be making more appearances in the story going forward, just not right now. She wasn't a throw away character… I had the long game to think about.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	6. You Can (Not) Handle the Truth

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 6 – You Can (Not) Handle the Truth  
June 21, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji, Mari, Asuka, and Rei had stayed behind to clean the classroom. Mari and Asuka had been assigned by Hikari to clean the classroom, but seeing as they all had sync tests after school, Shinji had decided to stay behind, and rather than going to NERV alone, Rei decided to help her friends clean as well, and hopefully finish faster and get to NERV to avoid being late.

"So, who's in charge of our sync tests today?" Mari asked as she swept the floor.

"Well, I think it'll still be Maya in charge of them." Shinji said as he cleaned the windows. "I don't think Dr. Akagi has been let back to work yet. I know she hasn't come to apologize to me yet. What about you guys?"

"Well, then you're the only one." Asuka said as she cleaned each of the desks. "She came to me and Mari last week. And I know she bothered Maya at home, she told us that a few days ago."

"She visited my apartment three days ago." Rei said as she wiped down the chalk board with a rag. "She seemed annoyed with having to apologize for her actions."

"Well, she's not a nice person is she?" Mari asked.

"No, she's not very kind at all." Shinji said.

"It's like she's avoiding you, Shinji." Asuka said.

"Well, maybe she's ashamed of what she did." Mari said.

"Or something else is bothering that fucking bitch." Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, what did I tell you?" Shinji said.

Asuka sighed deeply "You said not to call her names…"

"Right, she may not be nice, but we shouldn't sink to her level, Asuka." Shinji said. "Don't smirk either Mari, this goes for you too."

"Sure puppy, I can try…" Mari said as she continued to smirk.

"Mari… don't try, just do it." Shinji said sternly.

"Wow, look at you, mister forceful." Mari joked. "Maybe you should be leading us in battle, Commander."

"Yeah, and how would that work?" Shinji said sarcastically as he sprayed the last window to clean it. "I doubt Asuka would follow my orders, and none of us should really be in charge, we should always work together… as equals."

"Well, he's not wrong." Asuka said. "I wouldn't listen to him… and we should be equals out there through. We all know now what could happen if we don't back each other up."

"You mean you could catch an Angel in your hands and wait for the rest of us to get our sweet asses there?" Mari asked.

"Being absorbed into another dimension by an Angel with no foreseeable way to escape?" Rei asked.

"Or is it having an Angel sever your cables to the surface, and then start to fall deeper into a volcano?" Shinji asked.

"Yes." Asuka said. "We don't exactly have the luxury of working independently with the Angels… we might regret it."

"Asuka, just relax, we'll be fine, now that Shinji has that selfless hero thing out of his system." Mari said. "Right, puppy?"

"I already you guys a bunch, I won't scare you like that again…" Shinji muttered.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if we still don't believe you." Asuka said.

"Yeah, whatever…" Shinji said as he walked over to grab a rag and help Rei with the chalkboard.

"Hey!" Asuka shouted. "Don't whatever me, baka! This is serious!"

"Asuka, will you relax, I said I wouldn't do it again." Shinji said. "If one of us gets trapped, then we'll just have to figure out a way to save them without anyone sacrificing themselves again, ok?"

"Yeah, fine…" Asuka said.

As Shinji was wetting down the rag, Rei was at the bucket and doing the same, and as she was ringing it out, Shinji thought it looked familiar. Rei twisted the rag back and forth three times to make sure it was rung out.

'That's just how my mother used to do that…' Shinji thought. "You ring that out like my mother did…" Shinji said without thinking.

"What?" Rei asked.

Shinji blushed. "I said you ring that out like a mother." Shinji corrected himself.

Rei herself blushed. "Oh, well thank you, Shinji…"

Mari had overheard Shinji's original statement, and gave him a piercing stare. 'Puppy's right, she does ring that out like Yui did… ' Mari thought. 'Adding that to all of the other similarities make me wonder who Rei really is… and why does it matter if I love her… I love Yui too, and the similarities are starting to add up into something I can't explain…' Mari coughed. "I'm sure Rei will make a wonderful mother someday."

Rei turned ever redder. "Oh, thank you…"

"Jeez, baka, you made wundergirl blush." Asuka quipped as she rolled her eyes. "You should try complimenting every girl you know like that."

"I'm sure you'll be a great mother someday too, Asuka." Shinji said politely.

Asuka turned her head away from Shinji in a huff. "Well I don't believe you now, because I had to prompt you, baka."

"Awww, princess, are you butt hurt?" Mari asked.

"No, I'm not butt hurt, four eyes." Asuka said. "It would just be nice to be complimented sometimes, that's all."

"Well, you have a cute ass, princess." Mari said.

"What, do you look or something?!" Asuka asked.

"Well, we all change together, princess, it's hard not to notice." Mari said.

Asuka grumbled. 'Just take the compliment, Asuka…' Asuka thought.

"Hey, Asuka…" Shinji said. "I think you have pretty eyes…"

Asuka stared at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're like the color of sapphires…" Shinji said as he blushed. "They sparkle like them too…"

Asuka blushed too. "Thanks, Shinji… no one's ever said that."

"You're welcome Asuka." Shinji replied sheepishly.

"Mari, I believe you have been left out of all these compliments." Rei said.

"Yeah, but I don't mind." Mari said. "I know I'm awesome."

"Well, you should be aware that you also have a very symmetrical face." Rei said.

"I'm flattered, blueberry." Mari said as she herself blushed a bit. "But why does that matter exactly?"

"Scientists say that a more symmetrical face indicates a higher level of attractiveness." Rei stated. "I read it somewhere."

"I'm sure you did blueberry." Mari said. "Thank you for noticing."

"You are quite welcome." Rei said.

"So, what time is it?" Asuka asked.

Shinji checked his new watch and realized the time. "We have to be to NERV in half an hour!" Shinji exclaimed.

"What?!" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, how is it that late?" Mari asked.

"I believe we used a lot time complimenting each other." Rei said.

"Well, regardless of the reasons, we should hurry up." Shinji said. "We don't want to be late for Maya."

"Yeah, she's way nicer than Ritsuko." Mari said. "I wouldn't want to disappoint her."

"I quite agree." Rei said. "She is very kind."

"Well, let's shut up and go then!" Asuka said. "Come on, let's go!"

–––

Toji was sitting and waiting for his sister to come out of the bathroom. He had come right after school to see her, and was wondering what was taking so long.

"Heya, sis… you alright in there?" Toji called through the door.

"The nurse is helping me get dressed, Toji!" Sakura called through the door. "Unless you want to be the one to help me!"

"I love you sis, just not that much." Toji quipped.

"You're a horrible brother!" Sakura joked through the door.

"Yeah, I'm the horrible one." Toji said. "You make fun of me half the time."

"Cause you deserve it!" Sakura said in a sing–song voice.

"No I don't!" Toji said. "I'm a nice guy!"

"Yeah… all guys say that." Sakura said as the nurse helped her from the bathroom. "Hey, don't look so down, bro. I was only kidding you know. Can't take a joke?"

"Not about me being a bad brother." Toji said. "That ain't right."

"Fine… I'm sorry, Toji…" Sakura said. "You are a good brother… the best actually."

"Yeah, well, let me help you into bed, sis." Toji said. "I need to talk to you about something important."

"Sure." Sakura said. "I'll be fine, he won't drop me."

"Alright, I'll be back in an hour or so to check on you." The nurse said.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Sakura said as Toji eased her into bed.

"Hikari…" Toji said. "I'm a… nervous…"

"About what?" Sakura asked. "You like her, don't you?!"

"Of course I do, it's just… I don't know…" Toji said. "I'm just scared to ask her out or anything. Like I get all weak kneed around her when I'm ready to tell her I… uh…"

"That you want to date her?" Sakura asked. "Why are you nervous, bro?"

"I just… I want to be with her." Toji said. "I mean, I know she likes me, she makes me lunch every single day… and I just don't know how to repay her for that."

"Ask her out, dumbass." Sakura said. "That's how you repay her."

"Yeah, but what do I do?" Toji asked. "I don't really have any idea how to go out on a date. Where do I take her, How do I act?"

"Just be your regular goofy self, Toji." Sakura said. "She likes you for who you are, so you don't have to act any differently than you usually do."

"Yeah, but what do we talk about?" Toji asked. "What do I ask her?"

Sakura shook her head. "Toji… you're hopeless…" Sakura sat up a little straighter. "Toji, why are you worried. She already likes you, and you already like her. If you're together, what you're hoping will happen, will eventually happen. Just don't rush things, let them happen naturally, ok?"

"Yeah, but how will I know, sis?" Toji asked.

"Toji, you'll just know." Sakura said. "Haven't you ever paid attention to those romantic movies you watched with me?"

"Not really…" Toji shrugged. "They don't have a lot of shit blowing up or anything. Well, _True Lies_ I paid attention too."

"Yeah, because your hero Arnold Schwarzenegger was in it." Sakura said.

"That and he stole a Harrier Jet and blew up a terrorist with it." Toji said.

Sakura sighed heavily. "Jeez… don't let your date end up like that movie, ok?"

"I won't." Toji said. "But where do I take her?"

"Well, you've been chatting with her for over a month and a half, she must have mentioned some things she liked. Or were you not paying attention?"

"I was paying attention." Toji said. "She likes… uh… not having to cook… relaxing at home… watching movies…"

"Well, there's your answer, dummy." Sakura said. "Just ask her out to a movie and take her somewhere for dinner. Nice and simple."

"It sounds simple, but it isn't as easy as you think." Toji said.

"Yes it is. The hard part is over, you like each other." Sakura said. "You've given it time, haven't you?"

"Yeah, six weeks." Toji said. "Every time we hang out I'm really, really happy."

"So, go and do it, Toji!" Sakura said. "I want you to be happy!"

"I know, but if I'm always having fun with her, what about you?" Toji said. "I'd feel guilty if you were alone all the time."

"Just bring her here with you." Sakura said. "You can make cutesy eyes and kissy faces here all you want, I don't care."

"Yeah, but I still feel bad." Toji said. "I know you're not happy staying here all the time. You never get to leave."

"Toji, whatever happened to me that night, it's not your fault." Sakura said. "I wandered off and I caught in the middle of that fight. I thought it was so cool that the Evangelion was fighting that thing… I got distracted and I got hurt. I'm only in here because of me. I can't blame you or anyone else for why I got hurt. I can't be happy because of my own actions."

"But Sakura, it is my fault, you got away from me on the way to the shelter." Toji said.

"I tricked you, Toji." Sakura said. "I snuck away. Just like I told Shinji, it's not his fault, and it's definitely not your fault."

"Yeah, but…" Toji started.

"No buts, bro." Sakura said sternly. "I want you to be happy. I can wait until I'm out of here to be happy, but don't be all caught up on me being in here. Go and be happy, and if you don't bring your _girlfriend_ Hikari here in the next week, I'm calling her and asking her out for you, got it?"

"Got it." Toji replied. "But you're sure you don't mind?"

"I know you'll still come around and see me." Sakura said. "You would never abandon me, but I'll be glad you'll be happier when you're with Hikari."

"Heya, Sakura." Toji asked. "How do you know so much about love?"

"I'm far wiser than my age lets on, bro." Sakura said. "Just make sure to use protection, Toji. You know, in case anything happens."

"Hikari's not that kind a girl, sis!" Toji said indignantly.

"Hey, relax Toji." Sakura said. "I was only kidding. But don't be surprised, the quiet ones are always the one to watch out for."

"What are you implying?" Toji asked.

"If I have to explain it to you, it means you're not ready for it yet." Sakura said as she rolled her eyes. "Jeez, it'll be a wonder if you ever have kids…"

–––

Asuka was alone in her room. Other than Shinji, there was no one else in the apartment. Shinji was asleep in his room, extremely tired after the sync tests that day. Mari had stayed late to help Maya with some additional testing, and Misato, like always, had to work late.

Asuka was playing a game on her GameBoy when she heard a scream from the next room.

"Shinji?" Asuka muttered as she put the GameBoy down, and she heard him scream again.

"Shinji!" Asuka jumped off her bed and ran to his room to see him thrashing on his bed and screaming. Asuka grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Shinji, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Shinji kept thrashing, so Asuka decided she only had one option left. "Sorry, Shinji…"

SLAP

Shinji woke up, covered in a cold sweat. He stared at her, confused and afraid.

"Asuka, is that you? Is it really you?" Shinji stammered.

"Yeah, it really me." Asuka said. "What's wrong? You were shouting like crazy person."

"I was having a nightmare…" Shinji said. "Is that why you slapped me?"

"Yeah, shaking you and shouting at you didn't work." Asuka said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be… the slap is better than the nightmare I was having." Shinji muttered.

"What was the nightmare about?" Asuka asked. "Was it about that Angel?"

"Yeah… I know it's dead, but I was still really scared." Shinji said. "I keep seeing Leliel take your form, or Mari's or Rei's, and try to… pleasure me… I don't like it…"

"Why don't you like it?" Asuka asked.

"Because I don't want that from that… that thing…" Shinji said. "I'm afraid of the next Angel, and what they might be capable of."

"Shinji, you don't have to be afraid." Asuka said. "When the next Angel attacks, I'll be there. I'll protect you like you always protect me."

"Thanks Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, are you sure you're ok?" Asuka asked.

"No, I'm not, but I'll be fine…" Shinji said. "Don't worry too much."

"Well I am worried." Asuka said. "Why don't I stay with you? That way you won't be alone."

"I guess if you think it'll help." Shinji said.

"I think it will… uh… ya know… psychology says it should." Asuka said.

"I thought you had an engineering degree." Shinji said.

"I do, but psych is still a part of the core curriculum, baka." Asuka said.

"Well, if you think it's ok." Shinji said.

"What, you don't like cuddling with a beautiful woman?" Asuka asked.

"It's not that, Asuka." Shinji said. "It's just that… Leliel used you… to try and temp me… to stay there forever… I just feel awful about all that…"

"Shinji, you don't need to be ashamed." Asuka said. "It's ok, whatever you saw, I know it wasn't your choice. You've passed on that opportunity twice in real life. I trust you when you say you feel bad about it, but you don't have to feel bad, Shinji."

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Really, baka." Asuka said. "Now, I'm going to go change for bed, I'll be right back."

"Ok." Shinji said sheepishly.

"Just don't fall asleep till I get back, I don't want you have to slap you again." Asuka said as she walked back to her room.

When Asuka got to her room, she pulled off her clothes and changed into something more appropriate for the bed. 'I wonder why Shinji is so embarrassed about having seen someone pretend to be me naked.' Asuka thought. 'He seems awful scared about it… but I'm just hoping me being with him will help.'

Asuka shut off the light in her room, and walked back to Shinji's room. Asuka crawled into bed behind Shinji and wrapped her arms around him.

"So, how are you feeling now?" Asuka asked.

"A little." Shinji said.

"Good, I'm glad I can help you out for once." Asuka said.

"Thanks, Asuka… for being so nice." Shinji said as he snuggled up against her.

"You don't have to thank me, baka." Asuka said as she shivered at his snuggling. "Now, get some sleep, we have school in the morning, and you have lunches to make."

"Of course I do…" Shinji said.

"I'm only kidding, baka." Asuka said. "I think Mari figured out a way for food to get delivered. SO you don't have to make lunch."

"How did she figure that out?" Shinji asked.

"Well, she figures she can charm them with her voice, then her… uh… figure." Asuka said.

"Well, that sounds like a plan Mari would have." Shinji said.

"Yeah, well, she's using what she's got…" Asuka said.

"Boobs?" Shinji asked.

"Boobs." Asuka replied.

Shinji chuckled. "Well, let's see if she can pull that off tomorrow."

"Yeah, her and her big, squishy tits…" Asuka said angrily.

"Yeah, they're kind of squishy." Shinji joked.

"How do you know?" Asuka asked.

"I've cuddled with her before, Asuka." Shinji said. "And hers feel a lot like yours."

"Wait, my little ones feel like her big ones?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, you have them pressed against my back." Shinji blushed. "They're… uh… nice."

"You're a little pervert." Asuka said. "But I appreciate the compliment nonetheless. It's nice that someone notices me."

"Asuka, you're a hard person to ignore." Shinji said. "And I mean that in a nice way."

* * *

June 24, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji and Hikari had stayed after school. Hikari needed Shinji's help with some of her duties, and she knew she could trust Shinji to help her without baulking. As Shinji helped staple some handouts together, Hikari sat down next to him with another stack of papers to be stapled together.

"Thanks for the help, Shinji." Hikari said.

"No problem, Hikari." Shinji replied. "I don't mind helping you out, you do a lot for us."

"Well, can I ask you for someone help?" Hikari asked.

"Sure, do you need me to clean something?" Shinji asked.

Hikari blushed. "No, I just need some advice on Toji…"

"Oh, really?" Shinji said. "I thought you two had already worked out you liked each other."

"We did, but nothing's happened since we talked." Hikari said. "I mean, we hang out a lot, but other than that, I don't think he's ready to ask me out yet…"

"Hikari, you know what you have to do." Shinji said. "I mean, you have it a lot easier than I do, you know Toji likes you that way."

"Yeah, I know that…" Hikari said.

"So, you have to do what you keep telling me to do, Hikari." Shinji said. "You have to ask him out if he's not ready."

"But Shinji, I… I can't." Hikari said. "He said he wanted to wait till he was ready, I don't want to rush things."

"You know how you and Mari keep telling me that Asuka will eventually take a hint?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Hikari said.

"And you know how Toji is a bit thick when it comes to well… stuff…" Shinji said.

Hikari blushed. "Yeah… its part of why I like him."

"Well, then you have to take your own advice and just ask him out yourself." Shinji said. "He likes you, but if he's a little nervous like I am, he just needs a push."

"Do you really think it will work?" Hikari asked.

"Of course I do." Shinji said. "You and Mari keep telling me Asuka will eventually ask me out, maybe Toi's hoping for the same thing."

"Wow, Shinji… and I thought you weren't paying attention to our advice." Hikari said.

"I pay attention, Hikari." Shinji smiled. "I'm just too afraid to ask Asuka out because I don't know if she likes me, you don't have that problem."

"I know, but I'm allowed to be afraid too." Hikari replied. "But I'll take your wise advice, and just ask him out myself."

"Good, I know you two will be very happy together." Shinji said happily. "Now let's finish stapling this stuff." Shinji said. "You have someone to ask out."

"But I have… uh… one more question, Shinji." Hikari said.

"What is it?" Shinji asked.

"Well… what can you tell me about kissing?" Hikari asked.

Shinji grinned. "Planning something fun for Toji?"

Hikari blushed and waived her hands. "Shinji, stop suggesting such things!"

"Why? Are you planning on kissing him?" Shinji teased.

"Shinji, you're around Mari too much… she's rubbing off on you." Hikari said. "But yeah, I want my first kiss with him to be really special."

"Well… Mari's more the one to ask about that than me." Shinji said. "Uh, well, yeah, just ask her. Preferably when Asuka's not around."

"Why not near Asuka?" Hikari asked.

"Well, Mari's methods require a bit of discretion." Shinji said. "So, Asuka not being around would be a good idea."

"Ok, so then, I guess Asuka and Rei have cleaning duty tomorrow." Hikari said. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

"You know, you use that power of assigning people to clean the room very suspiciously." Shinji said. "Almost like you abuse it."

Hikari smirked and pointed her finger at Shinji. "Shinji… you shouldn't accuse people of things like that."

"Yeah, but, am I wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, be quiet and keep stapling." Hikari said.

–––

Shinji and Hikari were walking home together. Hikari had told her sisters to order out, seeing as their father was working late again. Hikari tended to feel bad about these decisions, but she also knew she shouldn't have the weight of the world on her shoulders at all times. Being friends with Shinji had help put that in perspective for her.

Shinji looked over at her and noticed that Hikari was thinking hard about something.

"Hey, Hikari, what's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Oh… just thinking about my sisters." Hikari said. "I don't feel like going home to Kodama telling me how I should act with Toji. I mean, she's had a lot of boyfriends, but that doesn't mean she's exactly the right person to ask."

"Well, not everyone settles down right away, Hikari." Shinji said. "Some people like to experience stuff… but that's not you, is it?"

"No, it's not." Hikari said. "I only want Toji, I can't see myself with anyone else. Can you see yourself with anyone other than Asuka?"

"I'm not sure." Shinji said. "I would really love to be with Asuka, but right now, I'm just happy we're friends again."

"Yeah, but you and me are a lot alike, Shinji." Hikari said. "We're both nice people who are deeply in love with someone. I know Asuka will come around soon, she's certainly acting a lot friendlier since you disappeared into that Angel."

"Yeah, she came to see if I was ok the other night when I had a nightmare. She stayed with me the entire night." Shinji blushed. "It was nice…"

"I'm sure it was." Hikari said. "So, what were you dreaming about?"

"Leliel." Shinji said. "Everything that happened, it kept repeating that night… but when she slept next to me, it just went away."

"Well, was the dream about?" Hikari asked.

"Well, remember how I told you I lied to the others?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, Leliel knew you loved Asuka and exploited that. And you told them that you saw all three of them naked…" Hikari said. "I'm guess the part where she tries to take advantage of you is what's keeping you up at night."

"Yeah, it's the most fucked up sex dream I've ever had…" Shinji said. "I just wish I didn't go through that. I just feel so afraid of that Angel… even though they're gone…"

"Yeah, well, you know that whatever that Angel did, it wasn't Asuka." Hikari said as she patted him on the shoulder. "And you know Asuka would never take advantage of you like that, right?"

"Yeah, I know that…" Shinji said.

"So, did you tell Mari about this?" Hikari asked. "You should, you know, she'd understand I think… she's empathetic like that."

"No… I thought she'd be overly concerned if I told her." Shinji said. "Did you tell her?"

"Nope…" Hikari said. "I thought that you should be the one to tell her."

"Yeah, thanks for that…" Shinji looked up and saw someone standing at the corner he recognized. "Oh… hello…"

"Shinji, who's that?" Hikari asked.

"I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, miss." Ritsuko said. "And you are?"

"Oh… you." Hikari said. "I'm Hikari Horaki."

"Yes, that is the response I'm getting used to. Pleasure to meet you." Ritsuko said.

"I can't say the same." Hikari said coldly.

Ritsuko glared at her. "I assumed Shinji would be alone on the walk back."

"Well he's not." Hikari said. "So, what, are you stalking him or something?"

"No, I simply wanted to apologize to him privately." Ritsuko said.

"Anything you'd like to apologize for, you can say it in front of my friend." Shinji said.

"Shinji, our operations are classified." Ritsuko said.

"You do know she's aware of most of what we do." Shinji said sternly. "Or do you not realize that? Now, whatever you have to say, classified or not, Hikari can hear it."

"Alright, then." Ritsuko said. "I'd like to apologize Shinji… about the last Angel. I should not have acted in the way I did to disregard your life in the manner I did."

"You mean your plan to nuke me to death?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, that plan was irresponsible, and if you had not urged the Evangelion to somehow activate, I should have given you a chance instead of simply trying to solve the problem in the easiest way possible."

"You better be fucking sorry!" Hikari said loudly.

"Excuse me?" Ritsuko asked.

"You should be fucking sorry!" Hikari said angrily. "You tried to kill him, so you better mean this apology instead of it simply being a means to get your job back!"

"I…" Ritsuko said. 'Why are all teenaged girls such stupid, disobedient whores?' Ritsuko thought. 'Does Shinji just attract whores like this?'

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?!" Hikari asked.

"I do mean this apology, miss." Ritsuko said. "Shinji is a kind person, and I should have thought of a better plan than what I did."

"Good, I'm glad you're really sorry." Hikari said. "Because if you aren't, you shouldn't be going back to that job you had."

"Well, I am, and I'll leave the acceptance of my apology up to Shinji." Ritsuko said calmly.

"Well… I'll accept your apology on a few conditions." Shinji said.

"What conditions?" Ritsuko asked.

"Just try to be nicer to Asuka and Mari." Shinji said. "You really cause a lot more problems that you need to by acting so intolerant of them at times. In addition to that, maybe don't torture us with sync tests all the time. We know our jobs are important, but we need time to ourselves too."

"If that's what it takes for you to accept my apology, I will try to give you more time to be kids." Ritsuko said. "And I will try to not engage with Asuka or Mari."

"Don't bait them either." Shinji said.

"I will not bait them." Ritsuko said.

"Then, I accept your apology." Shinji said.

"Thank you very much, Shinji." Ritsuko said. "Then I will see you later. Enjoy your day."

"You too, Dr. Akagi." Shinji said as Ritsuko walked away.

"So, what was that about?" Hikari asked. "You shouldn't have accepted her apology."

"I'm not evil like she is, Hikari." Shinji said. "I'm not going to sink to her level and be a massive dick."

"So… you're taking the high road." Hikari said.

"Yep." Shinji replied. "I don't see the point in being mean."

Hikari kissed his cheek. "Yeah, Shinji, you're a good kid." Hikari smiled. "I'm glad you're not like that women, if any of those stories about her are true, I can only hope that she just leaves you guys alone."

"Thanks, Hikari." Shinji said. "I'm glad you notice."

"Asuka will too, Shinji." Hikari said. "Just give it time."

–––

Rei walked into the Commander's private quarters. He was sitting a smaller table than usual. Dinner was laid out in front of him, and Rei sat down quietly.

"Good evening Rei." Gendo said. "How are you?"

"I am well, Commander." Rei replied. "How are you?"

"I am doing fine today." Gendo said. "How has school been? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, Commander." Rei said. "I am very happy at school. Everyone has been wonderful to me these past few months. I actually have something to look forward to when I go."

"I'm glad to hear that, Rei." Gendo said.

"Commander, I have a question." Rei said bluntly.

"What is it, Rei?" Gendo asked.

"What is love?" Rei asked.

"Why would you ask that, Rei?" Gendo asked.

"I am simply curious, sir." Rei said.

"But why are you curious?" Gendo asked.

"Well… I was curious because I am having feelings I do not understand about Shinji and… of Mari." Rei explained. "I know you are in love, Commander."

"Yes, I am…" Gendo said quietly. "What feelings are you having?"

"Well, being around Shinji and Mari, they each give me a very warm feeling in my heart." Rei replied. "I do not understand it, but it feels like the emotion people describe as love… I even have a warm feeling being around Asuka. I do not know why I feel the way I do, Commander, I just wish to understand why."

'I guess that fragment of Yui's soul is causing far more interference than I thought.' Gendo thought. 'I feel that the deep love Yui had for Mari, and the maternal love for Shinji is also beginning to take root in Rei's conscious mind… I'm not sure about her feelings for Asuka however… perhaps something of Yui cared for that girl as well… a maternal love for a best friend's child… but I do not feel bad about this… but it could be a hindrance in the long run… but I won't say this development is a bad thing… it's nice that Rei is growing into her emotions.' Gendo took a deep breath. "Rei, I believe what you're feeling is love. But I don't know why you're having feelings for those three. How long have you had these feelings exactly?"

"Well, I have had these feelings since Shinji saved me after the Fifth Angel's attack." Rei said. "As for Mari… I have had those feelings for her several months now."

"Well, it's only natural to have feelings for those you are close to." Gendo said. "Rei, you work in close quarters with all of them, you all trust each other with your lives, it seems like a natural reaction."

"Yes, but Commander." Rei explained. "These feelings I have… they feel very old. Like they are not my feelings, and yet, I am having them."

"I do not understand Rei." Gendo said.

"Commander… can you please try… that is why I'm asking you." Rei said. "But I need to ask you something else to try and understand… I just need you to be honest please…"

"I will try, Rei." Gendo said. "I would tell you anything you wish to know."

"Well, first… Commander… may I call you papa?" Rei asked. "I know I have never called you that, but I wish to."

"Yes, Rei… I would like that…" Gendo said.

"Then, papa… here is my question." Rei said. "Who do I come from?"

"What?" Gendo asked. 'Why is she asking this now?' Gendo thought.

"Papa, I wish to know who I come from…" Rei said nervously. "I know I am not entirely human… but I wish to know which human I come from… please papa…"

"Rei… are you quite sure you wish to know this?" Gendo asked.

"Yes… I remember my birth… or rather the other Rei's birth… you were the first person I saw." Rei explained. "I wish to know my purpose, and who I came from, papa…"

"Rei… this isn't easy to explain." Gendo said. "But I will try. I just need you to promise me, whatever I tell you, stays between us, Rei."

"I will not tell anyone, papa…" Rei said. "Please, I just wish to know of the circumstances of my birth… but please do not leave anything relevant out."

"Alright then…" Gendo sighed deeply. "You were created from the remains of my wife… Yui."

"Why?" Rei asked. "I thought she was the soul of Unit–01…"

"She is inside of Unit–01, yes. How do you know that?" Gendo asked.

"I found out incidentally from a report on your desk some time ago… is that why you're so protective of Unit–01?" Rei said.

"Yes… that is why I protect Unit–01 in the manner I do." Gendo said.

"But how am I created of Yui Ikari?" Rei asked again. "Please… tell me…"

"During a recovery attempt to get Yui out of Unit–01's Core, we recovered a biomass… it was not anything recognizable… just a disgusting mess…" Gendo shook his head. "Included in this biomass were some fragments of Yui's soul… copies of the soul from what the analysis showed. Instead of incinerating the biomass as instructed, Fuyutsuki mistakenly placed the biomass in a container already containing the soul of Lilith."

"The large white creature in the basement?" Rei asked.

"Precisely." Gendo said. "Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki came up with an idea to use research from his students, Yui and two others to recreate Yui and bring her back a different way… however he did not know of Lilith's soul being in the mix… and you were created some months later…" Gendo sighed deeply. "He created you out of a deep love for Yui… you were made from love, Rei, just like any child should be, even if it's not the most conventional way in existence. However you arrived, I am glad you were born."

"But why do I have feelings for Shinji and Asuka, and Mari…" Rei asked.

"You are partly made up of Yui's soul…" Gendo sighed. "You… are felling the love she had for Shinji as a mother."

"What about Asuka?" Rei asked.

"One of Yui's best friends was Asuka's mother… Kyoko. She met Asuka once, and loved the girl quite a lot." Gendo said.

"But why do I feel something for Mari?" Rei asked. "I do like her… but the feelings are similar to how I feel about Shinji and Asuka… but they are also different…"

'Should I explain Mari and Yui?' Gendo thought. 'I do not want to ruin Rei's feelings for the girl… but I also don't want to expose Mari's secret…'

"Papa… what about Mari?" Rei asked again. "I know the feelings I have are not entirely my own. Please… I just wish to make sense of this, please tell me."

"Rei, there are some things that I cannot tell you." Gendo said. "Some secrets cannot be exposed to the light."

Rei stood up and pointed at Gendo and shouted in a tone that would make Asuka or Shinji proud. "Please, I wish to understand why I think part of me has loved Mari for longer than I have been alive! I just wish to understand!"

'Yui… I see so much of you in her…' Gendo looked at her woefully. 'I have to tell her… I do not have a choice…' Gendo thought. "Rei… Mari is… not of this time…" Gendo said shamefully. "Mari was Yui's other best friend from college. Mari was trapped inside of Unit–XP's Core from an accident that occurred during an experiment back in the late 1990s. The precursor project to Project E, named Project Alcion."

"So, Mari was trapped?" Rei asked. "Why does she pilot?"

"She is Shinji's godmother… she pilots to protect Shinji." Gendo said. "That was why she started. She did it out of a sense of duty to Yui."

"But why do I have feelings for Mari?" Rei said. "I know I enjoy her company, but I feel things when I am around her… I just want to understand."

"Mari was in love with Yui in college…" Gendo said. "And Yui was already in love with me when she found out, but she did fall in love with Mari as she grew older… she loved Mari the day she was absorbed, and she probably still loves her to this day."

"So, do I not truly love Mari?" Rei asked.

"No." Gendo said sternly. "Your feelings for Mari and Shinji and Asuka are deep seated within you. However, your own personal feelings towards them would have stirred up the feelings that are a part of you. You love Mari because you have begun to fall for her. Do not let what I have told you cloud your true feelings for her… whatever you feel for her is real, and I would say go forward with your feelings, Rei… you may be made from Yui, but you are your own person, you are unique and special… but I must emphasize that you cannot tell Mari you know about her, no one can know. I am protecting her from SEELE and other dark forces because I know if she was harmed, Yui would never love me again."

"I understand, papa." Rei said. "I will not reveal what I know. I will protect Mari because I… I love her…"

"Thank you, Rei." Gendo said.

"No, thank you, papa…" Rei said. "I really appreciate you telling me the truth."

"I'm glad I could help." Gendo said.

"Papa, I have one other question from what you said." Rei said quietly.

"What is it Rei?"

"If I am made from Shinji's mother, what does that make me to him?" Rei asked. "His mother, or his… sister…" Rei trailed off.

"Rei…" Gendo stared at Rei intently. "I…" Gendo looked shocked. 'What is Rei to Shinji? She can't be his mother… that would mean she is essentially his sister.' Gendo thought. "Rei… I believe you are more analogous to his sister rather than his mother."

"So… I am Shinji's younger sister?" Rei asked.

"Yes, you are Shinji's younger sister." Gendo repeated.

"Should I not inform Shinji of this development?" Rei asked.

"Correct." Gendo replied.

Rei sat back down and smiled. "I am glad I understand my feelings now…" Rei said happily. "I love Shinji and Asuka like siblings, and I love Mari… because I am unique."

* * *

June 25, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Hikari was sitting nervously in Misato's kitchen. She was waiting patiently for Mari to get out of the bathroom. When Mari came out, Hikari blushed and hid her face.

"Hey, freckles, what's wrong?" Mari asked.

"Look, do you know where everyone is?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, scruffy picked up puppy from school, said he had some stuff to show him. Princess is cleaning the classroom, blueberry is at NERV I think, so is miso… and we're here." Mari chuckled. "Why does it matter?"

"Well, I need to ask you a favor." Hikari said. "And Shinji pointed me in your direction for this kind of help."

"Oh, I'm so intrigued with what Shinji said you could ask me." Mari purred. "So, please, go ahead and ask away."

"Well… you know me and Toji right?" Hikari said.

"Yeah, you two are this close to being a couple, right?" Mari asked.

"Yeah… that's right." Hikari said.

"So, what do you need advice on?" Mari asked.

"Well, it's less advice, and more experience… with uh… kissing…" Hikari blushed deeply. "Would you be willing to help me out?"

"So, what are you asking me exactly?" Mari asked.

"Would you show me how to kiss properly?" Hikari asked as her face turned beat red.

"Well, freckles, I'd be honored to kiss a face as cute as yours." Mari said.

"You don't mind?" Hikari asked.

"Well… no." Mari said. "I mean, it's to help a friend, isn't it? I'll do what I can to help you. Now, I only have one question, do you want to know how to use a tongue or not?"

"Well… do guys like tongue?" Hikari asked.

Mari smirked. "Yes… yes they do. So, how do you want to do this?"

"Well, right here, I guess…" Hikari said.

"Hey, freckles, are you sure you're ok with this?" Mari asked. "Don't you want to have your first kiss from the jock?"

"Well… its more I want his first kiss to be fantastic… and I know he'll really love it if I kiss good…" Hikari blushed again. "And learning how to french kiss would be really great… just uh… be gentle."

"Ok, then, if you're sure, just lean in." Mari said.

Hikari blushed and leaned towards Mari. Mari leaned in the rest of the way and their lips met. Hikari's faced turned red, and Mari had a flush to her cheeks. Their lips parted and their tongues began to explore their mouths. Hikari was hesitant, but Mari showed her how it was done. They parted to see each other's blushing faces.

"So, did you enjoy that freckles?" Mari asked.

"Yeah… that was… interesting." Hikari said. "Thanks, Mari…"

"You're very welcome." Mari said.

"So, would you mind helping me a bit more?" Hikari asked. "Maybe, without the tongue this time?"

"Sure, freckles…" Mari blushed. "But we're going to have to be careful."

"Why, are you getting aroused from little old me?" Hikari asked.

Mari blushed again. "Maybe a little…"

"Oh… Mari, I didn't think this out…" Hikari said. "I didn't mean to make you…"

"Wet." Mari said. "It's ok, it's just been awhile since… well, technically, I've never had a girlfriend… or a boyfriend for that matter."

"Oh… Mari… you shouldn't be single, you're really sweet!" Hikari said.

"Well, I've got my eyes on someone, but I'm just taking my time." Mari said.

"Well, who is it?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, it's no one you know… but I'd still like to keep it a secret." Mari said.

"Fair enough." Hikari said. "So, will you be too aroused if we kiss again."

"Not if we go with your plan and leave out the tongue." Mari joked.

"Alright then." Hikari said as she leaned in again. "Thank you for this, Mari… I really appreciate it."

"Just show me the appreciation in your effort, Hikari." Mari said as they locked lips again.

They were kissing deeply and enjoying themselves a bit when they both heard a noise. They broke apart and looked up to see Asuka drop her school bag and see her jaw go slack.

"What the fuck is this!?" Asuka shouted. "What the ever loving fuck!?"

"Asuka, what are you doing back?" Hikari asked.

"I came back expecting to relax, but I find out the girl I'm living with is some fucking… depraved perverted lesbian kissing my goddamn best friend!"

"Asuka, how could you say that…" Mari said tearfully.

"Because it's true!" Asuka shouted. "Do you try to sneak a peek at me while I change, do you think about me while you touch yourself?! Well, tell me damn it?!"

"Asuka… I'm not… I'm not like that…" Mari said. "I'm not some disgusting person… how could you… how could you say that? I thought you were my… friend…"

"I don't make friends with perverts!" Asuka shouted.

Mari looked tearfully at Asuka and ran off to her room. Hikari looked at Asuka and glared at her. Asuka looked at Hikari and steppe d towards her.

"Did she seduce you or something?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"No, Asuka, she didn't, she's not like you say she is." Hikari said angrily.

"Then why were you kissing her!?" Asuka shouted.

"Because I wanted her help with learning how to you ignorant moron!" Hikari shouted. "She's not a lesbian, she's omnisexual, she doesn't see gender, just kindness! If you bothered to ask her or talk to her about how she feels, then you'd know that, but you're too fucking selfish to care! That and you're so fucking rigid about people and their gender, you wouldn't be able to understand anyway!"

"Why are you on her fucking side?!" Asuka said angrily. "You're my best friend!"

"I'm on her side because you're being a bitch!" Hikari said. "Now, go apologize to her, right fucking now!"

"No, not until you tell me why you were kissing her!" Asuka shouted.

"Because I want Toji to enjoy our first kiss, and Shinji recommended her to me!" Hikari roared. "Now go say sorry!"

"NO! I REFUSE TO APOLOGIZE TO THAT PERVERTED BITCH!" Asuka screamed.

SLAP

Asuka stepped back, clutching her face, and Hikari stepped forward to slap her again.

"Why… why did you slap me?" Asuka asked.

"Because you're being a bitch." Hikari said. "Now, go say sorry."

"But… I don't want to…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, you made her cry… now go and talk to her so she can explain everything to you." Hikari said. "You make such a big fuss about things that don't even matter."

"But it does…" Asuka said. "She could have taken advantage of me…"

"Asuka, and you wonder why someone as kind as Shinji won't go out with you, its stupid shit like this that would make someone like him think twice!" Hikari said angrily. "Do you even realize how awful you sounded when you yelled at her? You sounded like some sort of fucking woman hating, wife beating asshole!"

"No… No it can't be… I'm not… I didn't realize… but, Shinji…" Asuka said. 'I can't be turning into him…' Asuka thought.

"Shinji and Mari are best friends. Do you think she's not going to tell him about this? He'll hate you for making her cry." Hikari said.

"I doubt he even knows about her." Asuka said smugly.

"Of course he knows, he doesn't give a shit about it either!" Hikari said. "Now if you want Shinji to ever love you, go apologize and make Mari feel better right fucking now!"

"But… but Shinji wouldn't…" Asuka said.

"Yes he would, Asuka." Hikari said. "Just go in there and tell her you're sorry for assuming such disgusting things."

"But I didn't really know before…" Asuka said. "I… I didn't realize… I sounded just like… my father… oh mien Gott… I'm a horrible person!"

"Asuka?" Hikari asked. "What's wrong, what happened?"

"I didn't… I didn't know that was all wrong… what have I done?" Asuka said. "I have to apologize."

Asuka walked towards her and Mari's room and knocked. She could hear Mari crying in the room. "Mari… can I come in?"

"Leave me alone you fucking homophobe!" Mari screamed.

"Mari… please… I need to explain something to you… please let me come in." Asuka said.

"No! I don't want to hear what you have to say, I hate you!" Mari said angrily.

"Mari… please… I need to apologize… I didn't know what I was saying was wrong… please let me explain." Asuka begged.

Mari sniffled. "Please my ass… why should I?"

"Because… I just need to explain…" Asuka said. "Please…"

"Come in then…" Mari said. "Just make it quick."

Asuka came in and sat nervously on the bed next to Mari. "I'm really sorry Mari… I didn't… I didn't know what I was saying was wrong…"

"How did you not know?" Mari asked. "Are you that fucking ignorant?"

"Yes…" Asuka said. "I heard that kind of stuff growing up, from my father…"

"You heard that from your father?" Mari asked. "Didn't your mother teach you any better than that?!"

"No… by the time I was old enough to understand, my mother was already dead…" Asuka said. "I wish she had told me… but she couldn't… I just heard all those things from him… I didn't even realize it until something Hikari said. I realized that what I said… I sounded like my asshole father… I'm… I don't want to become him… please, Mari… don't hate me for what I said… I didn't… I just reacted badly to finding that out… I shouldn't have said that… I'm… I'm sorry!"

"You should be!" Mari said in a hurt voice. "Why did you react like that?"

"I just saw you two kissing… and everything, my father ever spouted while I lived with him… it just spewed out…" Asuka said sullenly. "I'm really, really sorry. I never wanted to become like him… I hate him. I hate myself now for being like him. I can understand if you don't ever want to talk to me again…"

"Asuka…" Mari said. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a horrible person!" Asuka shouted. "I don't deserve to be happy because I'm a bitch! I judged you because I learned shit from a person I fucking hate!"

Asuka burst into tears, startling Mari. "Hey…stop crying, you're not allowed! You can't cry if you made me cry!"

"I know I'm not allowed to cry… but my father treated me like dirt after my mother died!" Asuka shouted. "I know it's not an excuse, but I just didn't have anyone tell me any different! I didn't know I turned into something I despise!"

Mari looked at Asuka and saw the regret etched all over her face. 'What did that asshole do to you after Kyoko died?' Mari thought. 'I can tell she feels bad about it… but what happened to her really… besides him barring all contact with Tokyo–3 and Shinji… what did he do… how can I stay mad when she's so broken up about it…' Mari looked at Asuka crying on her bed. "Hey… hey…" Mari said softly. "Just stop crying… look, tell me about what happened, but let me tell you about me first, ok?"

"Do you hate me?" Asuka asked.

"I'll save that decision until after the explanation." Mari said. "But I'm not telling you anything about me until you stop crying."

Asuka wiped her eyes. "Ok…"

"So, you know that I like more than guys by now, right?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Asuka said.

"Well… I don't really care about anyone's gender when it comes to liking them." Mari said. "I look for something more. Love and kindness… that's it. The person I like could be anything, I don't care as long as they love me… as long as they're kind to me."

"So, what does that mean?" Asuka asked.

"It means I'm what they call, uh… omnisexual, princess." Mari said. "You don't know anything about sexuality do you?"

"No… straight, gay, bi… that's it." Asuka said. "I didn't know there was more…"

"Well, maybe we can save that lesson till later." Mari said. "So, what happened with your father, Asuka?" Mari asked. "What made him so bad?"

"Well… he cheated on my mother while she was in the hospital." Asuka explained. "I caught him with my babysitter a few times, Zelda… she was a dumb girl, and he used her. I heard a lot of the stuff he called her, it wasn't nice. He used to hit me every time I talked back. I got hit and called names a lot… he used to use those words I called you on me… he called my mother the same things… I used to hear him a lot on the phone too… he used to call women all those names. Every time a girl would tell him no to his advances, he'd either call them some awful names, or he'd uh… do something less palatable…"

"What did he do?" Mari asked as she clenched her fists.

"I never really found out… his father is the head of NERV Berlin, and his uncle is an ambassador for the United Nations… he's very protected." Asuka explained.

"So, your dad is just a vile person." Mari said. "He's a fucking rapist."

"Yeah, I think he's still cheating on his new wife and their two bastard children." Asuka explained. "I hate him… I really do. I just… all the anger and betrayal he pulled on my mother just came over me when I saw you kissing Hikari… I… I lost it. I'm really sorry, Mari, I know you every right to never forgive me, and I'll understand if you never want to talk to me again…"

"No, I'm not mad anymore… I understand now." Mari wrapped her arm around Asuka. "But why didn't your step mother help you out?" Mari asked.

"She's too worried about her perfect kids to give half a shit about me." Asuka said. "I'm literally the redheaded step child… I hate her for giving that bastard a new family, leaving me to be treated like shit…"

"Asuka… I didn't know." Mari said. "But this explains… well, basically everything."

"What do you mean?" Asuka asked.

"Well, your abrasive attitude for one, and why you act so defensive all the time for another…" Mari said. "You should have told us all this before… it would have made things much clearer."

"I don't really like chatting about this." Asuka said. "It's… embarrassing."

"Yeah, understandable." Mari said. "But, you're not off the hook quite yet, princess, but I don't blame you _entirely_ for being an ignorant fool."

"I deserved that." Asuka said sullenly. "But I don't really think you're a perverted lesbian."

"I know, princess." Mari said. "Why don't I tell freckles everything is ok, and I'll teach you about sexuality, how's that sound?"

"Is it going to be anything like that impromptu sex ed class you gave me and Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"No, there won't be any visual aids this time." Mari said. "But I promise by the end of it, you won't be ignorant anymore."

–––

Shinji and Kaji arrived at NERV HQ shortly after school got out. Shinji was curious about why Kaji had picked him up from school, so he decided to ask him.

"Hey, Kaji, why did you pick me up?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, well, I have something to show you." Kaji said. "But first, we have to pick up Misato."

"Why do we have to pick up Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, you'll see." Kaji said as he parked the car. "Let's go to her office and surprise her."

"Alright…" Shinji said as he followed Kaji from the car.

Kaji and Shinji walked to Misato's office and found her behind a large stack of paperwork.

"Hello beautiful." Kaji said. "What are you up to?"

"Kaji, leave me alone…" Misato said.

"Come on, Misato… I even brought some adorable company." Kaji said. "Say hello, company."

"Hi Misato." Shinji said.

"Shinji, what are you doing here?!" Misato asked.

"Oh, Kaji said he wanted to surprise you." Shinji said.

"Well, this is a surprise." Misato said. "So, Kaji, why are you here."

"Well, it's still a surprise, for both of you." Kaji said. "Remember what we talked about the other night?"

"Yeah…" Misato said.

"Well, I'm going to show you." Kaji said. "The both of you."

"You can't be serious." Misato said. "You're going to show Shinji? I thought you were only kidding about that last night."

"Yep, come on. We can chat more there." Kaji said. "Just follow me."

"Are you sure Shinji should see this?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, he has every right to see it." Kaji said. "Trust me."

"Whatever you say boss man." Misato said.

The trio walked to the elevator bank, and went to the red elevator that no one used. Misato looked at it, and Shinji wondered why it was red.

"Why are we using this one?" Misato asked.

"Oh, it's the only one that goes to that level." Kaji said. "Just hold on a second." Kaji pulled something out from his pocket and flipped a switch.

"What are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, just making sure we're not going to be seen." Kaji said as he pulled out an access card and swiped the elevator to open it.

"Kaji, this elevator is only for the Commander and Sub–Commander." Misato said as they stepped in.

"I know." Kaji said. "Just wait for minute, we're going down." Kaji pressed the down button. "All the way to the basement."

"What's in the basement, Ryoji?" Misato asked.

"You'll see." Kaji said.

"Your first name is Ryoji?" Shinji asked.

"Yep, guess that secret's out." Kaji said. "I'd rather just go by my last name though."

"But you have a cool name, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Well, someone doesn't think of it that way." Misato said. "So, what level are we going to, Ryoji?" Misato asked as she poked his arm.

"Level Triple–E." Kaji said.

"That level doesn't exist." Misato said. "I looked at the plans for this base for months, there isn't anything below D Level."

"So you think." Kaji said as he pointed up at the ticker as it switched to display "E–EE" and stopped moving. "See that?"

"Yeah, it's not possible." Misato said.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a darkened corridor and another red colored door.

"And yet, here we are." Kaji said.

"What is this place?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, it's something very special." Kaji said. "Just one more door. But don't worry, this entire area is not under surveillance, considering it's so secret."

"Yes. But what's down here?" Misato asked.

"The reason the Angels attack us." Kaji said.

"Well then, open the door." Misato said.

"Well, this is the part where you can leave and stay ignorant." Kaji said. "Both of you."

"I want to know, Kaji." Misato said.

"You said I should know, so I'm staying." Shinji said.

"Good, then let's look behind the curtain." Kaji said as he swiped the door open.

The door opened to reveal a massive, dark chamber. As the three of them stepped onto a balcony, several lights came online. Situated on the far side of the chamber, in the middle of a massive pool of LCL and attached to a large, red, metallic cross was Lilith.

There was a mask covering her face, which was eerily similar to Sachiel's bone mask. Lilith also bore the marks of where Unit–01 was grown from her, in the form of missing everything below her waist, where instead small, human sized legs and arms stick out and twitched as if they were alive. Her hands were secured to the cross by a massive bolt through each hand. And buried in her chest, was a long, red, bident.

Shinji and Misato stared in awe at the giant.

"What… what is that?" Misato stammered.

"That… that is either Adam, the First Angel, or Lilith the Second Angel." Kaji said. "I'll leave that determination up to you though, Misato."

"Why, Misato?" Shinji asked. "Why is there an Angel down here?!"

"Right… she wouldn't have told you…" Kaji said. "Misato, why don't you tell him?"

"Tell him what exactly?" Misato said.

"Second Impact." Kaji said. "You should tell him."

"But…" Misato said.

"Fill in a few blanks for him." Kaji said.

"Fine." Misato said. "Shinji, you know the truth of Second Impact, right?"

"Yeah, you told me a while back… and Dr. Akagi said the Second Angel was disposed of like the Fourth… and if the First Angel exploded… then this is the Second Angel… this is Lilith…"

"Well, Misato?" Kaji said. "Is this Adam, or is it Lilith?"

"No, that thing… Adam… was mottled grey…" Misato said. "And it exploded and destroyed Antarctica… this isn't Adam."

"So, the brass are hiding Lilith in the basement then… very interesting…" Kaji said.

"Misato… how do you know what Adam looked like?" Shinji asked.

"I was… I was there with my father when Second Impact happened." Misato said. "He brought me down there after my mother got cancer… then one night I got bored and found the thing… with that spear hanging over its Core. Later that day… the test happened, then the spear set off an explosion… we were both wounded. A piece of shrapnel went through someone else and hit my chest… I have a scar to remind me of what happened." Misato sighed. "I was carried nearly unconscious to what looked like an Entry Plug and sealed inside just as Adam exploded. I was tossed around like a rag doll. After seeing Adam rise from the ashes it happened again, and then I don't remember anything after that." Misato shook and started to cry.

Shinji stepped forward and hugged Misato. "I'm sorry, Misato."

"Why are you sorry?" Misato asked as she wiped her face.

"I didn't know you went through that." Shinji said.

"Well, that's the point." Kaji explained. "Misato was told never to tell anyone by your father, Shinji. He's also the one who's hiding this thing down here, and somehow pulled the strings to get you to pilot Unit–01."

"So… my father… pulled some sort of strings to get me here, and put me in danger?!" Shinji shouted. "Why the hell would he do that?!"

"Well… I don't have details on that yet, but your father has some kind of plan for Unit–01 and you, that's why he's so adamant on keeping you and the Evangelion safe." Kaji said.

"Well, what are you going to do about it, triple–agent Kaji?!" Misato asked.

"How did you know?" Kaji replied.

"Oh, I've been checking on you, Kaji." Misato said. "I just wanted to know what kind of danger you're in."

"Well, you caught me." Kaji said. "And I'm very close to my goal, Misato. Please, just let me finish everything."

"Was this part of your goal?" Misato asked.

"Yes, Lilith was part of it." Kaji said. "But I still have some things to check out."

"But why did you show me all this?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, you put your life on the line every time you launch." Kaji explained. "Your father dragged you into this damn mess, and you had a right to know."

"What about Asuka, or Mari, or Rei?!" Shinji asked. "Don't they have a right to know?!"

"No, not anywhere as much as you." Kaji said. "Your father involved you for some reason after he sent you away, then he dragged you back the second the Third Angel attacked. Asuka wouldn't handle this news very well, and neither would Mari. And would Rei even notice? I doubt it, she just follows what the Commander tells her, or you. You need to keep this a secret. I implore you to keep this quiet, Shinji. I'm telling you this to motivate you to protect everyone from whatever your father has planned."

"But what does he have planned?!" Shinji asked.

"I don't know yet, Shinji." Kaji said. "But when I find out, I'll let you know right away. You need to know… for your safety, and everyone else's."

"You need to find out, Kaji." Misato said. "That way you can put a stop to all this."

"Fine, but I need to tell you one more thing. There are dark forces behind NERV, very dark forces." Kaji said. "A secret organization that controls the world… called SEELE."

"Called what?" Misato asked.

"Don't repeat the name, just remember it." Kaji said. "Otherwise they could come after you. They are one of my employers after all, and they are dangerous people."

"Jesus, Kaji, what have you gotten into?!" Misato shouted.

"Nothing short of what I expected to be honest." Kaji said.

"You are a massive idiot!" Misato shouted. "What happens if you die?!"

"I wouldn't be going down without a fight, Misato, just like I always told you." Kaji said.

"Oh, will you…" Misato started.

"Can I go home… to process this all?" Shinji interrupted. "Please?"

"Yeah, I can take you." Kaji said.

"You'll have to, I still have paperwork to do." Misato said in a huff.

–––

Asuka and Mari were sitting on Mari's bed. They had sent Hikari home a little while ago. They had been talking since she left, and both Mari and Asuka were feeling a lot better than they had been a few hours before.

"Hey, Mari… thanks for all of this." Asuka said.

"No problem, Asuka." Mari replied. "I'm glad I could explain everything to you. Do you understand more now?"

"I think so." Asuka said. "It's a lot to take in."

"Well, it's not something that can be explained easily, princess." Mari said. "Sexuality isn't something that's black and white."

"Well, I guess not, now that I know." Asuka said. "You know, everything you explained has really changed how I see things."

"I'm glad…" Mari said. "I know you're not a bad person. And you're definitely not your father. I bet you're more like your mother."

Asuka blushed. "Thanks… four eyes…" Asuka shifted nervously on the bed. "I have one more question though…"

"Yeah?" Mari asked.

"That advice you were giving Hikari… could you maybe help me out?"

"Well, maybe I can." Mari said. "But, are you sure you want a… what did you say… perverted lesbian I think? Do you want one someone like that kissing you?"

"Am I _ever_ going to live that down?" Asuka asked.

"Probably not." Mari said. "Are you offering to kiss to make up for what you said?"

"Partly…" Asuka said. "But I want to kiss Shinji again, and maybe Hikari had the right idea to practice. Just… no tongue. I'm not that adventurous."

"Really, princess, you're going to let your friend beat you?" Mari asked.

"Life's not a competition, four eyes." Asuka said.

"Well, that is a very different tune." Mari said.

"Whatever." "So, will you help me?"

"I guess." Mari said. "But Shinji may recognize my technique."

"Oh, be quiet." Asuka said. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yep." Mari said. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"Well…" Asuka said. "I'm not sure… I've never kissed anyone but Shinji."

"I'll be gentle." Mari said as she leaned in. "One last chance, though. Do you want to back out? I won't judge you for it."

"No, next time I kiss Shinji, I want to not seem like such a novice." Asuka said.

"Why? Shinji said your kiss was kinda fun, before the storming off and yelling of course." Mari said. "So, why improve?"

"Because I want to." Asuka said. "So… let's kiss already. Do you want Shinji to walk in and see us?"

"Well, his reaction will certainly be less volatile than yours." Mari said. "He'd probably faint or something."

"Sounds about right." Asuka said as she leaned in.

"Oh, look how brave you are, princess." Mari said as she leaned the rest of the way and kissed Asuka lightly on the lips. The kissed for a minute and Asuka broke the kiss.

"I think that's enough, four eyes." Asuka said. "Like I said, I'm not that adventurous."

"Fair enough." Mari said. "But you have very soft lips… I can taste the cherry ChapStick."

"Pervert." Asuka said.

"Hey… too soon." Mari said.

"Yeah, my ass." Asuka said. "Don't be so sensitive."

"Yeah, you're right." Mari purred. "I am a pervert."

They were interrupted by the sound of the door slamming and looked up.

"Is that Shinji?" Mari asked.

"No idea…" Asuka said. "He usually announces his arrival."

Asuka and Mari stuck their heads out of their room to see a despondent Shinji walking towards his room.

"Heya, puppy, what's up?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Asuka asked.

"Just tired." Shinji replied. "Going to take a nap."

"How was your afternoon with Kaji?" Asuka asked.

"Uneventful." Shinji said. "Night."

"I wonder what's up with him?" Mari asked as Shinji walked slowly to his room and closed the door quietly behind him.

"No idea…" Asuka said. "He doesn't act like that. I wonder what happened."

–––

Hikari showed up at Toji's door. She knocked feverously until someone answered. Toji looked at her in a bemused way when the door swung open.

"Hikari, will you relax?" Toji said. "Where's the fire?"

"It's right here, Toji." Hikari said. "I need to ask you something."

"What?" Toji asked.

"I want to go out on a date with you, I can't wait anymore, Toji, I'm in love with you!" Hikari said. "I just want to be with you, please, please say yes!"

"Hikari… you beat me to the punch…" Toji said. "I'm really sorry I made you wait… I would love to go out with you."

"Really, no more waiting?" Hikari asked.

"No more waiting." Toji said. "I want to be with you too… I was uh… gonna ask tomorrow after school… but I guess I don't have to now. So, Hikari, where are you taking me?"

"Well, I thought that karaoke bar was fun." Hikari said. "Pick me up tomorrow at seven… I don't have to be home until really late."

"Hikari, what are you suggesting?" Toji asked.

"Oh, you'll see…" Hikari said.

–––

Asuka knocked on Shinji's door. She didn't get a response, so she went inside anyway. Shinji was laying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hey, baka, you ok?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, just tired." Shinji said.

"You want to talk about what's bothering you?" Asuka asked.

"No." Shinji said. "There isn't anything wrong. It's just been a long day."

"Are you sure, you don't look ok." Asuka said.

"Asuka, I'm fine, just leave me alone." Shinji said. "Please."

"Shinji… you're worrying me." Asuka said. "I've seen you tired before, this isn't it."

"Asuka… please… I'm tired." Shinji said.

"Do you want Mari to cuddle with you to make you feel better?" Asuka asked. "Did you have that nightmare again, do you want me to stay?"

"No, Asuka, I just want to be alone." Shinji said. "Just close the door on your way out."

Asuka looked at him, but realized the battle was lost, she left without another word, and closed the door quietly behind her. Mari was waiting in their room, and Asuka plopped down on the bed and looked at Mari worriedly.

"Something's wrong with him." Asuka said. "He didn't want to talk… he just told me to leave him alone."

"And what?" Mari said. "You were in there a couple minutes."

"Well… he said no to cuddling, from both of us." Asuka said.

Mari gasped. "Well, you were right, something is wrong." Mari said. "I know he loves cuddling… but I wonder what's got him so distracted… it must be serious."

"I guess we'll have to try and find out." Asuka said sullenly. "I don't like seeing him like this. But I'll settle for trying to find out why he's down, and then we'll cheer him up."

"Sounds like a plan, princess." Mari said.

* * *

June 28, 2016 – NERV HQ, Central Dogma

Misato was relaxing in Central Dogma. It was her duty shift, and Hyuga, Aoba, and Maya were at their respective stations keeping watch for any Angels.

"Ma'am… we've lost communications with the 2nd Branch…" Aoba said. "The Commander was on the line with them… but it just went dead."

"Can you get them back?" Misato asked.

"No ma'am." Aoba said. "All attempts have failed. We're not receiving any signals from them at all. Their MAGI have also shut down, I can't see them on the network."

"Hyuga… pull up the GEOSAT for the 2nd Branch, I want to see what's going on." Misato ordered. "Maya, contact the 1st Branch and see if they know anything."

"Right away, ma'am!" Hyuga replied.

"Sure thing, Colonel." Maya said.

"Any luck?" Misato asked.

"GEOSAT feed for the 2nd Branch… pulling it up now." Hyuga reported. "Well, there's the live… feed…"

Hyuga had trailed off after he saw what had been pulled up. A massive black void was spread around where the 2nnd Branch should be sanding.

"Hyuga… what is that exactly?" Misato asked.

"It looks like…" Aoba said.

"The Twelfth Angel…" Maya whispered. "But even more massive."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too…" Hyuga said.

"Aoba, get the Commander and Sub–Commander down here now." Misato ordered. "Maya, do you have the 1st Branch yet?"

"Yes, ma'am, I just got through…" Maya said. "They are aware of the incident, and a Lieutenant Kotomi Amagi is requesting to speak with you, Colonel." Maya said.

"Amagi…" Misato muttered. "I'll take it."

Misato picked up the phone and spoke. "Hello?"

" _Ah, Colonel Katsuragi ow, is it? Impressive._ " Kotomi said.

"Glad to hear you're ok." Misato said.

" _Yeah, I'm glad I was assigned to Unit–03 not Unit–04._ " Kotomi said. " _Poor bastards… but this isn't a social call._ "

"It's not?" Misato asked.

" _No, it's not, Lieutenant Colonel._ " Kotomi said. " _I am hereby notifying that the United States government is transferring control of Evangelion Unit–03 to NERV HQ in Japan._ "

"So quickly?" Misato asked.

" _Well, they had this contingency plan in place fi the experiment went south, which it apparently did._ " Kotomi explained. " _We have begun packing up Unit–03 and will have it ready to ship in a few days, with a day or two of flight time after that._ "

"I'm assuming the staff assigned to maintenance of Unit–03 will be accompanying it?" Misato asked.

" _Yes, as head tech, I am assigned to the EVA, not the base._ " Kotomi said. " _Unit–03 is in my custody until sign it over to you._ "

"Has the Commander been informed of this?" Misato asked.

" _No, our request is going through the officer on duty, which is you, Colonel._ " Kotomi said. " _But the plan was pre–approved by him, so I'm sure he's partially aware of it._ "

"Fine then, we look forward to receiving your Evangelion." Misato said. "Safe travels, Lieutenant Amagi."

" _Thank you Colonel._ " Kotomi replied.

Misato hung up the phone. "Maya… prep another Evangelion berth…"

"Why?" Maya asked.

"Unit–03 is getting shipped to us." Misato said.

"But we don't have a pilot!" Hyuga said.

"Yeah, we have four pilots, and four Evangelions… do we really need a fifth?" Aoba asked.

"No, but having one more around isn't going to cause much else to happen." Ritsuko said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Where did you come from?" Misato asked.

"My suspension was lifted, and it appears just in the nick of time." Ritsuko replied.

"Fine… seeing as you're back, how do we handle being a pilot short to fill out the roster?" Misato asked.

"Oh… that can be handled." Ritsuko said. "I'm sure the Marduk Institute will send us a report shortly on the Fourth Child."

* * *

July 1, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Nebukawa no Sensei walked into the classroom and adjusted his glasses. "Mr. Suzuhara, please report to the principal's office."

"What for?" Toji asked. "I haven't done anything."

"They simply want to see you, Mr. Suzuhara." Nebukawa no Sensei said. "I do not know why."

Toji looked at Hikari. "I didn't do anything though."

"Just go, Toji." Hikari said. "I'm sure whatever it is, it can be cleared up pretty easily."

"Yeah, you'll be fine." Shinji said.

"Just don't start yelling at them, buddy." Kensuke said. "You know that won't help matters."

"Yeah, I know that." Toji said. "I just hope I don't miss lunch."

Toji walked out of the room and headed for the principal's office. There he was directed to a small conference room with a single occupant, a blonde woman with a mole on her lip, wearing a suit jacket with a skirt.

'Is that the bitch Asuka and Mari always complain about?' Toji thought. 'Certainly matches the way they describe her…'

"Good afternoon, Mr. Suzuhara." Ritsuko said. "Please have a seat."

"Yeah, alright." Toji said.

"Mr. Suzuhara, Toji… can I call you that?" Ritsuko said.

"No, you don't get to call me Toji after what you tried to do to my pal." Toji said.

"Fine… Mr. Suzuhara, I'm here to give you some news." Ritsuko said.

"Well, spit it out." Toji said. "I'm missing class, I could be napping right now."

"Mr. Suzuhara, you are aware of your friends' status as Evangelions pilots, correct?" Ritsuko asked.

"That's a stupid question." Toji said.

"Well, you have been selected by an impartial committee to be the Fourth Child, and designated pilot of Unit–03." Ritsuko said.

"No, hell no." Toji said. "Not a fucking chance. I know what those things can do to you, I'm not risking my life like that!"

"Mr. Suzuhara, let me offer you this as incentive." Ritsuko said. "We need you to pilot the new machine, and NERV will be willing to do anything to make this happen."

Toji stared her down and thought hard on what she said. "Anything I want, huh?" Toji asked. "I want you to fix my sister up and get her out of the hospital permanently. If you can do that, I'll pilot your stupid machine."

"Well, NERV has the best medical facilities modern medicine can offer." Ritsuko explained. "If you accept this offer, we will transfer her immediately into our care."

"Fine, but I don't sign until she's transferred." Toji said.

"Why not?" Ritsuko asked.

"I don't want you forgetting about our deal." Toji said. "So, once she's transferred, then I go test out your newest thingy."

"Fair enough." Ritsuko said.

"One more thing…" Toji said. "I don't want my friends finding out about this just yet."

"Oh, no… this is classified." Ritsuko said. "They won't know for several weeks. This will give you time to adjust to being a pilot. We'll also have the cover story for your sister being moved to the ICU and put on a no visitors list. To avoid any awkward questions on her whereabouts."

"Fine… when can all this be done?" Toji said.

"Come by NERV HQ tomorrow morning." Ritsuko said. "There are no sync tests scheduled for the other pilots. But you can come and see your sister first in the Medical Wing, then go have your first sync test. How does that sound?"

"Like you have yourself a deal, lady." Toji said. "But just to be clear… I'm not doing this to protect the world. I'm only doing it to save my little sister."

"Everyone has different reasons for why they pilot, Mr. Suzuhara…" Ritsuko said. "Yours is certainly the more noble reason, I can assure you of that."

"That's nice and all, but I'm sure each of my friends has a perfectly good reason to risk their lives on a daily basis." Toji sneered.

"I'm glad you think so, Mr. Suzuhara." Ritsuko said. "It shows how highly you view your friends and their motivations."

"Well, I think I know them pretty well, and they're all nice people." Toji said. "I would trust them with my life."

* * *

July 2, 2016 – NERV HQ

Toji walked nervously towards the entrance Ritsuko had told him to go to. He went inside and found Ritsuko waiting for him.

"Good morning, Mr. Suzuhara." Ritsuko said. "What took you so long? You're over a half an hour late."

"Oh… I just went to the municipal hospital to see my sister." Toji smirked. "They said she had been moved late last night to a better facility. Thanks for holding up or end of the bargain, lady."

"So, would you like to go and see her?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah, I would." Toji said. "I have to explain all this to her."

"Very well then." Ritsuko said. "We will go there first, then we will get you fitted for a plugsuit, and we will go over the procedures you are to follow before your sync test, is that understood?"

"Yeah, got it." Toji said. "Sakura first."

"Very well, Mr. Suzuhara." Ritsuko said. "Here is your new I.D. Card, keep it on you at all times. Please swipe it through the security barrier and follow me."

Toji swiped the card and the gate opened, allowing him inside the base. He followed Ritsuko to an elevator, and the doors closed on the very worried looking Toji.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 85.2% (+0.1%)  
Asuka – 71.7% (+0.4%)  
Mari – 76.9% (+0.2%)  
Rei – 73.8% (+0.5%)  
Toji – 22.9% (New)

First off, I left off where I did to set up the next chapter. Now, Toji having a sync score is to show he's now officially a pilot. However, his EVA is currently in transit to Japan, but they want a baseline to see if does better on the activation test, which, will be next chapter, which leads to my next point.

Just to note, everyone who's watched the anime (or read any fic that follows the general Angel formula) knows what Angels are coming up next, so it's going to be pretty dark for a few chapters. Just a warning to all. But that's what NGE is all about, breaking the characters down to rebuild them. Just the breaking down requires a lot of sadness and such. I can promise things will pick up by the end of the episode however. So just keep calm and carry on, things will get better for them eventually.

So, Rei's conversation with Gendo… well, basically that needed to happen. Rei now knows a big secret, as does Shinji. Asuka hasn't learned any doozies yet. So, no further explanation needed on those events other than I hope you were a bit surprised.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	7. Dog Day Afternoon; Bardiel Infests

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 7 – Dog Day Afternoon; Bardiel Infests  
July 18, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Another boring day, another shitty lecture from Nebukawa no Sensei. The class was half dead, or otherwise visibly napping on their desks, including the usually attentive Hikari. Rei was even almost asleep. Thankfully it was almost time for the bell to ring.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari called out.

"Finally, time for lunch!" Toji said happily.

"Hey, easy there big guy." Asuka said. "You'll eat yourself to death."

"No, he has an iron stomach." Hikari said. "Here's your lunch, hungry man."

"Thanks, Hikari." Toji said. "Have I ever told you you're the best?"

"Once or twice." Hikari said playfully.

"Oh, lord, we all know you two are dating, just kiss already." Asuka said.

"How do you know?" Toji asked.

"We saw you guys kiss the other day…" Mari purred.

"MARI!" Hikari shouted.

"What did I say?" Mari asked.

"Mari… come on." Shinji said. "You're embarrassing them. Clearly they want to keep things quiet. Give them that at least."

"Fine, puppy…" Mari sighed. "You ruin all the fun."

"No, I just try to keep you in line." Shinji joked.

"Well, maybe I'll buy you a leash so you can keep her in line better…" Asuka joked.

"Oh, can I have a studded collar?" Mari asked.

"Why… do you want a studded collar?" Kensuke asked.

"I don't know, maybe it'll look badass!" Mari said.

"You're weird, four eyes…" Asuka said. "Maybe we should just buy you a muzzle instead. That way you can't annoy us."

"Kinky princess." Mari purred. "Would you treat all your lovers to that kind of _restraint_?"

"What the hell are you implying?" Asuka asked.

"Oh… I think I know…" Hikari said. "Bondage…"

Asuka and everyone else went slack jawed, and Toji almost fell over. "What now?" Kensuke asked.

"No you're… wait you're right…" Mari stared at her. "Something you want to tell us, freckles? Do you have a dark side?"

"No!" Hikari said. "What are you implying?!"

"Oh… nothing." Mari said. "I never imply anything, freckles, my strategy is to simply let your mind make the connections itself. Any dirty shit you think of is on you."

"I do not have a dirty mind!" Hikari said indignantly.

"Well, you did say the word bondage." Mari said.

"What is bondage?" Rei asked.

"Mari, this is on you to answer." Shinji said.

"I don't think I can answer this here?" Mari said. "Even for me… it's inappropriate."

"Well, we finally found your lie, eh, four eyes?" Asuka asked.

"Shut up, princess." Mari said.

"Why can you not answer the question?" Rei asked.

"Rei, trust me." Mari said. "It's not a conversation for school."

"Oh, so it is of a sexual nature." Rei replied.

"Oh, blueberry, you're so adorable." Mari said.

"You guys are odd." Toji said.

"Yeah, well, you know what's odd?" Kensuke asked.

"What?" Asuka said.

"That Sakura's been moved out of the ICU to some other place." Kensuke said. "Is she ok? I mean, you haven't been around lately to ask though. Where have you been?"

"Well, Sakura's been moved somewhere else… I'm the only one allowed to see her. Some stupid doctor mumbo–jumbo." Toji fibbed. "I don't get it, but they say to just be quiet and be happy she's getting better."

"So, you've been with your sister then?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, she's not happy about the arrangement either…" Toji said. "She does wish she can see you guys though."

"Well, we miss her." Hikari said.

"Yeah, just tell her we say hello." Kensuke said.

"I will when I see her today." Toji said.

"What are you doing after that?" Mari asked

"Oh, nothing at all." Toji said. "I'm staying with her the whole night… she gets lonely now without anyone else…"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… maybe let me copy your homework every now and again." Toji said. "Being with her doesn't leave a lot time for actual work."

"Toji… you can copy my homework." Hikari said. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks guys…" Toji said.

"No problem, Toji." Mari said. "We're all here to help you… that's what friends are for."

"Even if some of those friends are annoying people with giant tits."

"So glad you measure me up, princess…" Mari purred. "It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing you like checking me out…"

"Oh, shut up four eyes." Asuka said.

"I don't think I want to." Mari said. "I'm having too much fun messing with you."

"Will you both shut up and eat the lunches I packed for you?" Shinji asked. "You're giving me a migraine."

Mari kissed Shinji's cheek. "Sorry puppy, I'll stop bothering the princess."

"Yeah, baka, I'll leave her alone too…" Asuka said sullenly.

"Good." Shinji replied. "Now we can all eat without you two threatening to kill each other at some point."

–––

Ritsuko and Gendo were in a small manufacturing facility inside of NERV. Suspended above them were five black Entry Plugs with neon green ends and different colored woven patterns on the main body. The colors of the different patterns were red, blue, purple, silver and white. Each Entry Plug was labeled "DMYSYS–REI" in the same neon green color.

"How is the Dummy System coming along, Dr. Akagi?" Gendo asked.

"The system is complete, but there are… complications." Ritsuko replied.

"What complications?" Gendo asked.

"Well, they system may be complete but it has a lot of bugs and glitches." Ritsuko said. "Even though we based it on Rei's mind and soul, it is impossible to perfectly copy any soul or brain pattern, there are nuances that get missed. So, using the system only accesses the most basic and primal human instincts, basically the drive to survive by any means necessary and the primal urge to kill. IT is not anywhere near human, and I would not recommend using it, or installing it."

"Considering what happened against Leliel, this system will need to be installed in all our current Evangelions, leaving out Unit–03 until it has completed its activation test." Gendo said. "So, take these Entry Plugs and switch them out with the current systems. I always like to have a backup plan in place in case the pilots stray from their orders."

"Sir, I do not think these systems should exist." Ritsuko said. "They would cause more problems than a problematic pilot ever would."

"Just carry out my orders, Dr. Akagi." Gendo said. "Unless you want your suspension reinstated immediately."

"I will switch out the current Entry Plugs with the Dummy Plugs right away, Commander." Ritsuko said.

"Good, I expect them installed by tomorrow." Gendo said.

"Is there anything else, sir?" Ritsuko asked.

"How is the Fourth Child doing?" Gendo replied. "Has he progressed at all?"

"Well, his progress has been steady the last few weeks." Ritsuko said. "He should be ready for the activation test at the end of next week."

"Has Unit–03 arrived yet?" Gendo asked. "In their haste to get the Evangelion out of the country, the United States seem to have rushed things a bit."

"I believe Unit–03 is encountering a layover in Germany until a storm dissipates."

"Where is it begin stored?" Gendo asked.

"Berlin, they have Evangelion facilities, the same ones where Unit–02 was constructed, so it was the likely choice." Ritsuko said.

Gendo stared at her. "When Unit–03 gets here, go over ever part of it with a fine tooth comb, to make sure it truly is ready for activation."

"Understood, Commander." Ritsuko said. "Do you have any specific concerns?"

"No, just a feeling that things may not go as planned…" Gendo said.

* * *

July 21, 2016 – NERV HQ

Misato walked into Ritsuko's office. She was looking for answers about who would be piloting Unit–03 when it arrived, and seeing as Ritsuko had been avoiding her, Misato had decided it was time for a more direct approach.

"So, this is where you've been sulking." Misato said.

"I don't know what you mean, Misato." Ritsuko said.

"Cut the shit, Ritsuko, you've been staying in your office, avoiding human contact since your suspension was lifted." Misato spat. "Are you afraid of facing everyone who hates you for what you tried to do?"

"I don't really see a need for human contact if I can avoid it." Ritsuko said. "I never have really liked being around people."

"Well, good for you, the little shut in." Misato quipped. "You can't tell Shinji to not run away, then become a hypocritical bitch and do the exact same fucking thing."

"Other than coming here to yell at me, is there something more work related you need to discuss?" Ritsuko asked.

"I'll get to that once I finish yelling at you." Misato spat. "Stop running away from the consequences of your actions and hiding away down here. You're just a pathetic, unhappy person who doesn't deserve to be happy, and now I know why you tried so hard to get me and Kaji to break up…"

"Excuse me?" Ritsuko asked. 'How the hell did she figure that out…' Ritsuko thought.

"I'm not as stupid as you think, Ritsuko." Misato said. "When I started talking to Kaji again, I put a few things together… and what you did was pretty fucking awful."

"So what, I didn't think you deserved to be happy either!" Ritsuko shouted. "You were a spoiled brat who complained about seeing one of the greatest scientific research expeditions of all time up close!"

"That expedition nearly ended the fucking world!" Misato shouted. "It almost killed me, and it killed my father right after he promised to be the father I never had!"

"At least you knew who your fucking father was!" Ritsuko shouted back. "My fucking whore of a mother banged anything with a pulse, and the man that pumped me into her didn't even want me! So don't fucking whine to me about your father, at least he fucking tried to make amends!"

"Stop using your shitty family as a crutch to be a fucking cunt!" Misato shouted. "Using that as an excuse for being like that just makes you a weak person! Grow from your experiences, don't wallow in them!"

"Why shouldn't I? They're all I have!" Ritsuko shouted back.

"Of course they're all you have left, you've pushed away anyone who might have cared about you with your ignorance and hatred!" Misato shouted.

Ritsuko stared at her in disbelief. 'How is it my fault? People are the ones who are the problem.' Ritsuko sighed. "What the hell you mean."

"Oh, come on, you're smart, you should be able to figure it out yourself." Misato said. "Or, at least that's what you've been telling everyone all these years."

"Whatever, Misato. I know I'm smarter than you are, so I really don't need to prove myself to you." Ritsuko said snarkily. "So, what did you come down here for?"

"To ask about the new pilot. Has one been selected yet? I haven't gotten a thing from the Marduk Institute yet, and considering that Unit–03 is arriving soon, I need to know who's been selected so I can brief them."

"That won't be necessary, Misato." Ritsuko said. "A pilot was selected several weeks ago and read into the program, and has been undergoing sync tests since his selection. The activation test has been set for the 29th, at the Matsushiro."

"Ritsuko, I don't care about the activation test right now." Misato said. "Just tell me who the hell was selected?"

"Well, it was going to be circulated later this week to the senior staff, but you may as well know now." Ritsuko said. "But under no circumstances are you to inform any of the other pilots, is that understood? They will be told after the activation test."

"Yeah, I won't tell them, just tell me who the hell it is." Misato said. "Or are you hiding more shit from us all?"

"What is there to hide from you, Lieutenant Colonel…" Ritsuko muttered.

"Well, whatever…" Misato said. "Who did they choose?"

"They chose him." Ritsuko said as she pulled up Toji's file on her computer and moved so Misato could see it clearly.

Misato went slack jawed when she saw Toji's file on the screen. "Not him…" Misato mumbled. "Not him of all people… Shinji will be beside himself."

"I do not believe the Marduk Institute cars about the reactions of the other pilots." Ritsuko said. "He has been selected, and that is final."

"So when are all the pilots being told?" Misato asked. "Because somehow I don't think this is something that should be kept secret."

"Like I said before, after the activation test on the 29th." Ritsuko replied.

"Great… I need to hide this from him until then…" Misato muttered.

–––

Asuka strolled into Kaji's office. She was bored after her sync test, and instead of waiting for Shinji to finish changing, and listening to Mari try to annoy you, she decided to go see how Kaji was doing. Asuka walked proudly into his office and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Hello Kaji!" Asuka said happily. "How are you today?"

"Oh, well, long time, no see, Asuka." Kaji said. "I thought you had forgotten about me."

"No, I didn't forget." Asuka said.

Kaji spun around in his chair. "So, what brings you to my humble office, Asuka?"

"Well… I was getting annoyed by waiting for Shinji, and Mari was getting on my nerves, so I came down here." Asuka said.

"Asuka, you have a better reason for coming down here than that." Kaji said. "You're friends with Mari, and you always wait for Shinji outside the locker room. So, what's up?"

"I need some advice… on boys." Asuka said.

"What do you need to know, Asuka?" Kaji asked.

"Well… I like someone, and I need to know how to ask them out." Asuka said. "I mean, is it even appropriate for the girl to ask the boy out? Isn't that a man's job?"

"So… you like Shinji, eh?" Kaji asked.

"What… I'm not telling you who I like!" Asuka said.

"Asuka, the way you reacted to his being absorbed by the Twelfth Angel, it's the only obvious conclusion I can come to." Kaji said.

"Wow… I didn't know it was that obvious…" Asuka said.

"It's ok to like him, Asuka." Kaji said. "You're allowed to fall for the quiet boys you know. It's not a crime."

"It's not that, I'm just nervous about asking him out… I don't think… I don't think I should ask him out… he might say no."

"Asuka, it's ok to ask the boy out, and I really doubt Shinji would say no if you asked." Kaji said. "There isn't anything wrong with taking the first step. I mean, Shinji is a shy boy, so you making the first move might be for the best."

"But why is he so dense?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I think it has to do with his childhood." Kaji said. "It was probably on par with yours, different obviously, but still pretty shitty. So he withdrew into himself. So maybe he'll open up a bit if you ask him out. He's just protecting himself like you protect yourself Asuka. You two are actually a lot alike."

"No we're not, he's an idiot, and I'm brilliant." Asuka said.

"Asuka, you know as well as I do you're a shy girl." Kaji said. "You hate being around people, but something about Shinji brings out the best in people. That's his gift… besides being one lucky son of a bitch, he's a truly kind person who makes people feel special. Your gift is to bring out the best qualities in him, Asuka. He seems so much more alive when you're near him. And when you two are together, you're unstoppable. Look at the Seventh Angel. You killed it together, after only a week of practice. Together you two would be a cute couple, and a pair of formidable teen warriors."

"Really?" Asuka asked. "You think I make him a better person?"

"I know you do Asuka." Kaji said. "So don't worry so much about asking him out. When it happens, it happens."

"Alright…" Asuka moved forward and hugged Kaji. "Thanks… for everything Kaji."

"No problem, kiddo." Kaji said.

"Hey, are these out updated sync scores?!" Asuka said happily. "How did I do?"

Kaji tensed up and remembered which sync results he had open… the one with five results. "Oh, you did great, as always."

"Wait, why are there five scores on here…" Asuka said. "We only have four…" Asuka looked and realized there was a Fourth Child listed by the name of Toji Suzuhara. "Why… why is that moron listed on the sync score chart, Kaji?"

"Asuka…" Kaji said. "It's a bit complicated."

"No, he can't pilot… he just can't" Asuka said. "I mean, he's my best friend's boyfriend… he can't be in danger like that… how do I tell her? How do I tell Shinji?"

"Asuka… you need to relax." Kaji said.

"No, I can't!" Asuka said. "I can't tell them that he's taking the risk to be an Evangelion pilot! Hikari would be beside herself, and Shinji would be a wreck too! I shouldn't know this secret!"

"Asuka… I'm not allowed to tell him on Dr. Akagi's orders, and you aren't allowed to know either." Kaji said. "But you _should_ know. Your friend is going to be in the same danger the rest of you are, and it's not fair. You need to tell Shinji."

"I can't tell Shinji, it would probably kill him!"

"Asuka, he needs to know, and this isn't something you can hide from him." Kaji said. "It's a dirty business, but if you love him, you'll tell him."

"Don't use that line on me, pal!" Asuka said angrily. "I do love him, and I know him not knowing until he absolutely needs to _is_ what's best for him."

"Whatever you say, Asuka." Kaji said.

"Kaji, just let me handle it the way I want. I'm a big girl, and I think I know what's best for baka Shinji." Asuka said. "Besides, I don't want to see him cry if I tell him."

"Why do think he's going to cry?" Kaji asked.

Asuka blushed. "Because he's an emotional person… which is… nice."

However, before Kaji could respond, he was interrupted by Shinji.

"Oh, here you are, Asuka, I thought I that was your voice. Heya Kaji." Shinji said as he walked in. "I figured you'd come here. Why did you disappear on me?"

"Hey kiddo." Kaji said.

"Oh, I got tired of waiting for you and listening to Mari drone on." Asuka said. "Speaking of… where is the four eyed nuisance?"

"She went to see if you were in Misato's office." Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes. "She told me to check and see if you were with your first love."

"Well, here I am." Asuka said.

"Yeah, she came to see if I was lonely, which was nice of her." Kaji smiled.

"So, you ready to go, Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, I'm hungry, and you promised me a lot of sausage for dinner." Asuka said.

"Asuka, you shouldn't talk like that in front of people." Kaji joked.

"What are you talking about?" Asuka said.

"Your phrasing implies so much more than what you meant." Kaji said.

"What do you… oh you're a being a pervert!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, Asuka, with any language, you can choose your words more carefully." Kaji said.

"Oh, fine, you got me, Kaji. I should have chosen my words more carefully." Asuka said. "Come on, Shinji, let's go home so you can make me dinner."

"Sure… but what are you guys looking at?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, it's just our sync scores, baka." Asuka said. "You're still in the lead, so nothing really to worry about. Let's go already."

"Ok…" Shinji said. "Well, let's go find Mari and go home. Bye Kaji."

"Bye, Kaji." Asuka said.

"Have a nice dinner you two." Kaji said. "And, Asuka, don't forget what I told you."

"I won't, but I'm sticking to what I said." Asuka said.

* * *

July 23, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka was sitting nervously in her room. She had been laying down and avoiding her roommates since finding out about Toji two days before. Mari came into the room and stared at her without Asuka noticing, so to get Asuka out of her unusual silence, Mari did what she did best, she decided to bother Asuka.

"Hey there sunshine." Mari said happily. "Why so quiet?"

"Is Shinji home?" Asuka asked.

"No, he went out." Mari replied.

"Where did he go?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, he's going out to plow some hookers and do some blow." Mari rolled her eyes. "Where do you think he went?"

"I was only asking to figure out how long he'd be gone, dummkopf." Asuka said.

"He's at the store buying us food so we don't starve, princess. Where else would he be?" Mari said. "Now, what's so important you need to tell me that requires Shinji to be out of the house? Is this going to be a request for more kissing practice?"

"No, Mari… this is serious." Asuka said.

"Ok, what happened?" Mari asked.

Asuka sat up and looked at Mari and sighed. "You've heard they're shipping another Evangelion here, right?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, I heard the rumors…. I assume one of us is going to pilot it or something." Mari said. "Is that a problem for you?"

"No… none of us are piloting it." Asuka said. "I found this out by accident the other day who the new pilot is… its Toji… Toji's the new pilot, the Fourth Child…"

"No fucking way!" Mari shouted. "He can't pilot, it's too dangerous! We shouldn't even be piloting these things!"

"Well, it's not a joke… he has a sync score and everything." Asuka said. "He's going to be activating that Evangelion when it gets here."

Mari sighed. "Well this news is about as much fun as a sandpaper dildo." Mari stared at Asuka. "Why did you tell me? I don't like lying to Shinji about stuff."

"I needed your advice." Asuka said. "I don't think we can tell Shinji… I think he would be… well… devastated I guess."

"You're probably right, princes…" Mari said. "I don't have it in me to break his big gushy heart. Toji's smart though…. he'll break the news to Shinji himself. He's too honorable not to. That and he'll ask Shinji for advice."

"I hope so…" Asuka said. "I just hope nothing happens to that big idiot…" Asuka sighed. "I'd hate to see Hikari cry about him getting hurt or…"

"Dying." Mari finished.

"Yeah… that." Asuka said. "So, what do you think?"

"I'll keep it quiet…" Mari sighed. "I won't like it, but it's for Shinji's sake."

"Yeah, it's for Shinji…" Asuka replied sullenly.

–––

Toji walked up to the roof before school. He was trying to relax and compose himself before class started, as the weight of his secret was crushing him, inside and out. Rei had followed him up there out of concern, seeing as Hikari was too busy to notice he had slipped out quietly.

"Toji, are you ok?" Rei asked.

"Oh… hey there blue." Toji said. "Didn't hear you come up."

"Shinji has told me I walk like a ghost… I do not fully understand what he means." Rei said. "But I always assumed it had to do with how silently I can move."

"Yeah, well, some people would kill for that particular skill." Toji said.

"Yes, but you are avoiding my original question, Fourth Child." Rei said. "Are you ok?"

"Oh… you know." Toji said. "And no… I'm not really alright."

"Yes, I overheard Commander Ikari last night about Unit–03 and its new pilot." Rei said. "I can understand if you are you worried, but we will all be there to protect you."

"I know that… but I don't know how to tell people." Toji said. "I know Kensuke will be fucking pissed, and Hikari will be worried about me… and Shinji… I know he hates piloting that thing, he'll probably be even more worried than Hikari…"

"The only advice I can give you is regarding Shinji." Rei said. "Simply tell him outright, the sooner the better. He will understand. He is a good person."

"So… just tell him…" Toji said.

"Yes." Rei said. "I do not know what else I can tell you."

"Does it hurt?" Toji asked. "Piloting I mean."

"Only in combat." Rei said. "You feel what the Evangelion feels. You are connected to it physically and spiritually… it becomes an extension of your body… and your mind." Rei smiled. "Does that help?"

"Yeah a bit…" Toji said.

Rei moved forward and awkwardly hugged Toji. "I have been told by Mari that hugs are meant to make people feel better." Rei said. "Does this make it a little better?"

Toji smirked. "Yeah… it helps a bit Rei… thanks."

"You are welcome." Rei said.

"Can you do me a favor though?" Toji asked.

"I believe so." Rei said.

"Can you keep my secret for me?" Toji said. "From what that bitch Akagi tells me, this is supposed to be kept secret until after the… uh…"

"Activation test." Rei said.

"Yeah, that thingy." Toji said.

"Yes, I can keep your secret, Toji." Rei said. "I will act as if this conversation never happened. And if asked I will deny all knowledge of this."

Toji chuckled. "Thanks Rei." Toji said. "You're a good friend."

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"I am aware of that… but I believe that was the warning bell, which means it is time to get to class. We do not wish to incur the wrath of your girlfriend."

"Nah, I want to stay on her good side…" Toji said. "Let's go before the final bell rings."

–––

Misato and Kaji were out driving. Misato had suggested she drive, but Kaji said he's rather drive her in his car because of her penchant for recklessly endangering all those around her when she got behind the wheel. Misato relented, and they were in Kaji's Ferrari driving around Tokyo–3 like two bored teenagers. The hard top was up, and Misato decided to ask Kaji a few questions.

"Ok, do you know why Marduk picked Toji?" Misato asked.

"Marduk doesn't pick anyone." Kaji replied.

"What do you mean?" Misato asked.

"The reputable and highly regarded Marduk Institute, who is entrusted by the U.N. and NERV to solely choose Evangelions pilots is a dummy company made up by 108 front companies, all lead by the same board of directors, including our esteemed friend, Ritsuko Akagi, Commander Ikari, and Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki." Kaji explained. "Commander Ikari or Ritsuko choose the pilots and then make it look as though Marduk did it all. That's how Shinji was chosen, Ikari pulled the marionette strings and put his son in the line of fire by placing him into Unit–01."

"But there must be a pool of candidates they select from." Misato said.

"Yes, yes there is…" Kaji said. "Next time you're in the secure system, check up on Code 707, you might find some interesting shit in there."

"Wait, Shinji's class?" Misato said. "No… that can't be…"

"Yep… it involves the Tokyo–3 First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2–A." Kaji sighed. "Shinji's entire class is comprised of all current pilots and the remainder are 4th level pilot candidates… the most likely children to be Evangelion pilots all in one place." Kaji explained. "I don't like coincidences… and this is one hell of a coincidence… something I don't like. But I still don't know how they choose candidates."

"Yeah, you're telling me." Misato said.

"Well, for now, keep the Toji thing quiet… we need to not draw attention to ourselves." Kaji said. "I'll keep looking for answers, you just do your job and keep those kids safe."

"Yeah, don't worry, I'd die to protect my children." Misato said.

"Your children huh?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah… I consider the all to be my kids… it's not like they have parents that care for them." Misato explained. "I'm just glad I can help them out a bit to be honest."

"Wow, Misato… look at you… the protective mother." Kaji said proudly.

"Maybe someday we can have kids of our own… together…" Misato said quietly.

"I'd like that." Kaji said as he drove on.

* * *

July 25, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School

Kensuke was following Shinji home from school. He didn't have anything to do with Hikari, Mari, Rei and Asuka were going to do a bit of shopping before they went to the apartment, and Toji was off with his sister, Kensuke thought it was time to ask Shinji for a big favor.

"Hey, Shinji, I got my hands on some sweet intel." Kensuke said.

"I thought I told you not to do that anymore." Shinji said.

"Yeah, well I'm not very good at listening." Kensuke said. "So, you want to hear it?"

"Why not…" Shinji said.

"Did you know an entire NERV Branch disappeared, over in in the United States?" Kensuke asked.

"No…" Shinji said. "I don't really listen to the idle chitchat while I'm there."

"Well, the 2nd Branch on the West Coast of the U.S. just disappeared off the face of the planet." Kensuke explained. "Some sort of black field swallowed the place up…"

"A Dirac Sea…" Shinji muttered.

"Yeah, how did you… ohhh…" Kensuke said. "Sorry… I thought I had heard it from somewhere. Anyway, Unit–04 was swallowed up with it, so the U.S. is sending their other Evangelion, Unit–03, here for activation."

"They're sending another one here?" Shinji said. "Isn't four enough?"

"Well, the U.S. is afraid of losing more people, so they're sending it to us." Kensuke said. "They're doing an activation test at the end of this week."

"Yeah… so…" Shinji said.

Kensuke turned to Shinji and grabbed his shirt. "Shinji, I want you to ask Misato if I can pilot Unit–03!" Kensuke begged. "I just want to be able to pilot my own Evangelion!"

SLAP

"What was that for?!" Kensuke said as he rubbed his face.

"To knock some sense into you, Kensuke." Shinji said. "Evangelions are not big, fun toys! They're weapons of war that no kid should be piloting! I keep trying to tell you that, but you don't listen! You don't want to pilot it! You could die! And I don't want anyone else I care about being put into one of those things!"

"Wait… you care about me?" Kensuke said.

"Yeah, Kensuke, you're my friend." Shinji said. "And I care about all my friends."

"Wow… thanks buddy…" Kensuke said. "But are you sure the EVAs are that unsafe?"

"Stopping the Tenth Angel from falling wounded me pretty badly, the Fifth Angel almost killed me and Rei, the Eighth Angel almost killed Asuka, and the Twelfth Angel took me hostage!" Shinji explained. "Trust me, it's not as glamorous as you make it out to be. Besides, they don't take volunteers… they have some place that chooses the pilots somehow… I doubt anyone I know could be picked considering they choose from around the world."

"Oh… well, I guess so…" Kensuke said. "It would be nice though… to be noticed for being a savior of the world, or just to be noticed at all, really."

"Risking your life for some notoriety isn't worth it, Kensuke." Shinji said. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll get noticed for something. Just stop being so gun crazy all the time."

"You really think that could work?" Kensuke asked.

"What would it hurt to try?" Shinji said. "You don't have anything to lose, do you?"

"No, I don't really…" Kensuke said. "Well, I'm going to head home… I have some homework to catch up on."

"I thought you were coming over?" Shinji asked.

"No, I should really head home." Kensuke said. "I'll catch you later, Shinji."

"Bye, Kensuke." Shinji said. 'I wonder if I hurt his feelings… well… I told him the truth… so it doesn't matter really…'

Shinji sighed. 'Well, I wasn't lying to him, I've almost died a few times… more than I like to remember… but I get this funny feeling that something out there is waiting for us… something even worse than what we've faced already… something we might not be able to defeat without it killing us all in the process.'

Shinji walked down the street some more, deep in thought, until he came upon Toji leaning against a guardrail protecting the sidewalk from the street traffic.

"Toji?" Shinji said.

"Hey, Shinji…" Toji replied.

"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked. "I thought you were with your sister."

"Yeah, she sent me home… said I needed to go out and live life a bit." Toji said. "I was waiting for you."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Did you want to come back to my place?" Toji asked. "I wanna ask you something."

"Sure…" Shinji replied. "Lead the way."

–––

Misato was walking to the Cage. Unit–03 had arrived one the tarmac less than an hour ago, and wanted to see it being delivered and secured so she could take possession of it for NERV HQ. She walked into the Cage to see the black colored Evangelion being moved into place some distance away from Unit–01 and Unit–02. She walked in to see a somewhat familiar face in a NERV uniform.

"Do you have the paperwork?" Misato asked the woman.

"Of course, ma'am." The woman replied as she handed Misato a clipboard that she signed rater quickly. "NERV HQ, Tokyo–3, Japan is now the proud owner of Evangelion Unit–03. Congratulations on your new arrival."

"Well, if you'd follow me to my office we can go over some other details from this transfer, Junior Lieutenant Amagi…" Misato said.

"Nope, it's 1st Lieutenant now, Lieutenant Colonel." Kotomi said. "A lot happens in two years, but you already know that."

"Yeah, well, a few Angel attacks later, lots of things tend to change." Misato said. "How have you been, Kotomi?"

"Oh, you know, single again…" Kotomi said. "Can never seem to find the right girl."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone." Misato said. "From what I remember, you're very persistent."

"Well, when we were in high school, it just sort of happened… or do you mean two years ago when we met up again?" Kotomi asked.

"Two years ago, silly." Misato said. "It was fun."

"I sense a but coming on…" Kotomi said.

"Well, I'm back with Kaji now… we fixed what got broken…" Misato said.

"Yeah, did you realize it wasn't his fault after all?" Kotomi asked.

"Yeah, it took some thought…" Misato said.

"Well, I'm happy for you… Misato." Kotomi said as she kissed Misato lightly on the cheek. "You still use that lavender perfume I see…"

"Well, you bought it for me all those years ago, and it smells so pretty." Misato said.

"Because, like I told you back then… it suits you." Kotomi said. "But now I'm somewhere where I don't really know anyone."

"Wait… what?" Misato asked.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Kotomi said. "I've asked to be transferred here permanently… I've had enough of the U.S." Kotomi smiled. "So I thought it was time to come home… but I guess it won't be into your arms."

"Well, as soft as my arms are, I'm taken now, Kotomi." Misato said.

"Yeah I know, I'm not going to try and steal from your one true love, Misato." Kotomi said. "But what will I do on those dark and lonely nights…"

"Well, I can fix that for you." Misato said. "I know a girl who would find you pretty cute."

"Really…" Kotomi said. "You're the best ex–girlfriend ever, Misato."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a horrible person." Misato said. "Contrary to what people might think."

"So, what's her name anyway?" Kotomi asked.

"Oh, she's a friend of mine… her name is Maya Ibuki." Misato said. "She's a nice girl, had her heart broken, but I think you might be what she's looking for."

–––

Gendo and Fuyutsuki were sitting in Fuyutsuki's office. There were deep in discussion on several things, but the most important topic was the disappearance of NERV's Second Branch in Nevada.

"So, what did you tell the committee about the incident?" Fuyutsuki asked.

Gendo chuckled. "Well, I told them the truth for once. We have no idea what happened, other than the assumption the S2 Engine overloaded and engulfed that entire area of Nevada in a Sea of Dirac similar to Leliel's."

"I bet they didn't like that response." Fuyutsuki said. "Although… I doubt they would notice if you ever told them the honest truth."

"I also doubt it." Gendo said. "It certainly was a shock to them. Something not even mentioned in the apocrypha… it certainly opened their eyes."

"How so?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Well… They no see some of the deviations as not necessarily my making." Gendo said. "Some things are simply… acts of God."

"Did you tell them that?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"With less sarcasm of course." Gendo said. "Those old fools don't realize how many small things can affect their big plans. They only look at the big picture, they never bother with the specific details… that's how I've been able to pull so much off under their arrogant noses. They don't see anything beyond the pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls."

"So, this incident helped us?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes and no." Gendo said. "I was hoping for Unit–04 as well as Unit–03 being delivered in the next few months. But the loss of Unit–04 isn't exactly a good thing. SEELE have pulled funding for any additional Evangelions as well… the money has been shifted elsewhere, which according to Kaji's report is cause for concern…"

"What about the loss of the S2 Engine?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Well, that is less of a problem." Gendo said. "The backup data is still in Hamburg and Tel Aviv, so we will be able to duplicate it."

"I thought it was sent to Hamburg only." Fuyutsuki said. "That's where Shamshel's Core went after all."

"Yes, but Kaji's little trip to Tel Aviv was to back up that data so SEELE can't hide it from us." Gendo said. "I have a feeling they want to keep us from acquiring an Evangelion capable of initiating Third Impact on its own."

"So, you're going to do what?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Synthesize our own S2 Engine?"

"No, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "We will look into the data and see if use it. We won't be able to synthesize our own S2 Engine without drawing attention to it. We will have to acquire another one by some other means."

"So, take another one from another Angel?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Precisely." Gendo replied smugly. "They may have taken Shamshel's away from us, but whatever S2 Engine we recover, we will install it in Unit–01, and we won't give it up so easily like we did before."

–––

Toji was cleaning off the table after cooking some curry rice for Shinji. Toji looked a lot happier than he had in the past few days, and Shinji was glad to see he was doing better.

"Now, that was damn good food!" Toji said happily. "My curry sauce tastes pretty good, doesn't it pal?"

"Yeah, it was great." Shinji said. "I'm surprised, I never thought you could cook? Why hide it if you're so good at it! Is this what you wanted to ask me about?"

"Oh, right…" Toji said. "Nah… all the heat from cooking and the spices, I forgot what I was going to ask you."

Shinji looked at him. "Hey, Toji, you cooked, let me help you clean up."

"Yeah, thanks…" Toji said.

Shinji and Toji cleaned up the dishes, and they heard the door open and close.

"Toji, I'm back!" Someone said. "Where are you boy?!"

"In the kitchen, gramps." Toji said.

"Oh, so you brought home a friend…" Gramps said. "How nice."

"Oh, hello sir, my name is…" Shinji started

"Shinji Ikari, the famous Third Child." Gramps said. "I know who you are kid, I work at NERV. Nice to meet ya."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Shinji said.

"Shouldn't you be getting home though, Mr. Ikari?" Gramps asked. "Won't the Colonel be worried about you?"

"Yeah, after we wash up, I'll head home, sir." Shinji said.

"Good lad." Gramps replied as he sat down and picked up the newspaper.

Shinji and Toji finished the dishes, and Toji walked him to the door.

"Thanks for everything, Toji." Shinji said.

"Yeah… sorry I kept you so long, pal." Toji said.

"It's ok, Toji." Shinji said. "I'll see you later."

Shinji waived his goodbyes and started to walk away, but Toji ran after him. "Shinji, wait!"

"Toji… what's the matter?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji…" Toji asked nervously. "When you first got in an EVA… what was it like?"

"What…?" Shinji asked, confused about Toji's question. "Why?"

"What did it feel like?" Toji asked again. "Were you scared?"

"Why are you asking?" Shinji asked.

"I… um…" Toji stuttered.

"Someone from NERV came to me almost a month ago…" Toji explained. "That bitch, Akagi… told me I had to be a pilot… that I was the only one that could…"

Shinji stared blankly at Toji. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"I said I'd only do it if my sister was moved to NERV HQ for better medical treatment, that I was only going to pilot so she'd get better… she agreed… but… I… I'm scared…" Toji fell to his knees in front of Shinji. "I'm so scared, Shinji… I kept telling myself this last month that tis no big deal… I've been doing sync tests telling myself I'm fine… every day at school… everyday with Hikari… I tell myself I'm doing fine… but look… I'm shaking like a tree in a storm… I can't stop shaking… like a scared little kid…"

"Hey…" Shinji said. "It's okay, Toji. It isn't that bad…" Shinji patted Toji on the shoulder. "It's not so bad that you're doing this to help your sister… I mean, I wish you didn't have to pilot, but it's not so bad. It's scary at first, I won't deny that… but you'll get used to it pretty quick. And yeah, we have to fight, but it's not so bad… everyone at NERV backs us up all the way… and you're really pretty safe inside the Evangelion, and me and Mari, and Rei, and Asuka will be there to fight right next to you. You won't be alone out there like I was in the beginning."

"I'm sorry, Shinji…" Toji said.

"About what?" Shinji asked.

"I'm so sorry…" Toji said. "I hit you… and I didn't even know what you were going though… I just thought you were careless. I didn't know…"

"Hey… it's ok… I forgave you for that a long time ago." Shinji said kindly. "You don't have to worry about that. But what you do need to worry about is how you're going to tell Hikari about this. What are you going to tell her?"

"I… I don't know." Toji said.

"When do you leave for Matsushiro?" Shinji asked.

"Thursday night…" Toji replied.

"You need to tell her." Shinji said.

"I will, when I tell her I won't be around Friday…" Toji said. "I'll tell her then, I promise."

* * *

July 28, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Misato was dressed in her formal uniform and had her large overnight bag and suitcase with her. Shinji, Asuka and Mari saw her in the front hall as they were washing the dishes.

"So, I'm going to Matsushiro, everyone." Misato said as she stood near the door. "I'll be gone three or four days… if you need anything, or have any problems, call Kaji."

"Yeah, sure." Asuka said.

"We'll be fine miso, don't worry so much." Mari said.

"Be safe…" Shinji said. "Keep whatever pilot you have out there safe too."

"What?" Misato asked.

"Unit–03… you're activating it, right?" Shinji asked as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"Yeah…" Misato said.

"Keep the pilot safe." Shinji repeated. "No one else should have to pilot those damn things."

"Yeah, I'll keep them safe… and you'll meet them when we get back from Matsushiro, ok?" Misato said.

"Alright." Shinji said.

"Wish us luck then, Shinji…" Misato said. "See you when we get back."

"Bye then…" Shinji replied as he went back to the kitchen.

Mari and Asuka looked at him funny when he came back to the kitchen. He sat down quietly and looked deep in thought.

"Hey, why did you tell her to keep the pilot safe?" Mari asked. "Do you know something we don't?"

"No… I just don't want whoever it is to get hurt." Shinji said. "I know how that feels… and I don't wish it on anyone."

"So, do you have any idea who the pilot is?" Asuka asked.

"No… all I know is it isn't Kensuke." Shinji said. "He would be bragging his ass off if he were chosen, wouldn't he?"

"Yeah, you're right." Mari said. "I just hope whoever it is stays safe."

"Yeah, so do I." Asuka replied. "Our job isn't for losers… it's a lot tougher than it looks."

"Well, I'm sure if I can pilot, anyone can pilot." Shinji said. "So I'm sure whoever it is will be just fine." Shinji got up from the table. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Asuka asked.

"Just to call Hikari about something." Shinji said. "I think she has one of my notebooks."

"Oh, ok." Asuka said. "Tell her I said hi."

"I will." Shinji said as he walked away.

Asuka turned to Mari. "Do you think he knows?"

"No, if he did, he'd be far more vocal about it." Mari said. "I know they were trading notes and stuff earlier… maybe it's just a coincidence."

"Yeah, you're probably right, but I don't believe in coincidences…" Asuka said.

–––

Toji was leaving his apartment and heading to the train station to meet Ritsuko and Misato for the transport to Matsushiro. He walked away from his building and saw someone leaning against the tree outside. He noticed the hair and the skirt and realized who it was.

"Hey, Hikari, what are you doing here so late?" Toji asked.

"Shinji called me and told me to come over and see you." Hikari said. "He said you had something important to tell me."

"Oh… right…" Toji said. 'Damn it Shinji… I still don't know what to say…' Toji thought.

"So, what was so important I had to come over for, Toji?" Hikari asked. "And why do you have a bag with you?"

"Oh, well…" Toji said. "I was going to tell you earlier, but I just couldn't figure out how to tell you."

"What is it?" Hikari said. "You're worrying me!"

"Um… well…" Toji stuttered. "I did something to help my sister out, but I don't think you're going to like what I had to do."

"What?!" Hikari asked angrily. "Just tell me!"

"I became an Evangelion pilot to get her better treatment!" Toji shouted. "I was afraid you'd be pissed if I told you!"

"You're going to be a… pilot…?" Hikari stammered.

"Yeah, Evangelion Unit–03… it's been transferred from the United States." Toji said. "I uh… that day I got called to the office last month… that's when I was offered the job… and I told that bitch Akagi… I told her I wouldn't do it unless they transferred my sister to NERV to get better."

"So, you're doing it all for your sister?" Hikari asked. "Why didn't you just tell me? I would have understood that!"

"I was afraid, ok!" Toji said. "I was afraid you'd hate me for being selfish, and I'm afraid of going into one of those things and losing you!"

"Toji…" Hikari said. "You don't have to be afraid…"

"I know… Shinji knows… I told him the other day…" Toji said. "That's why he called you. He didn't want you to not know. And Rei know too… she heard it from the Commander, Shinji's dad."

"Well, I'll have to thank him for that." Hikari said. "And you better be careful. I don't want you getting hurt… it's bad enough I worry about everyone else… but I love you and want to be with you. So don't do anything foolish or stupid, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Toji replied.

"Good, now get going, you can't be late." Hikari said. "And we'll talk more about this when you get back… from where ever you're going."

"It's the activation test for Unit–03." Toji said. "Ask Shinji tomorrow, he can probably explain it better. Oh, and don't tell Kensuke or the others… I think this needs to be something that's broken to him very, very gently."

"Yeah, no kidding." Hikari said. "I'll keep it quiet. But just remember to be careful." Hikari leaned forward and kissed him deeply on the lips. "That's so you remember what's waiting for you when you get back."

"Yeah, that's one of two reasons to come back." Toji said.

"What's the other?" Hikari asked.

"Sakura." Toji replied as he started to walk away. "Later, babe."

"Hey, wait a second!" Hikari shouted.

"What is it?" Toji said, turning around.

"Take this… you can eat it on the way…" Hikari said, handing him a bento tied up in a scarf. "I know how hungry you get."

Toji kissed Hikari on the forehead. "Thanks, Hikari, for everything."

"You're welcome, Toji." Hikari replied.

"Hey, Hikari, there's one more thing I have to tell you…" Toji said as he looked at Hikari.

"What is it?" Hikari asked.

"If anything happens to me… I want you to check up on my sister, ok?" Toji said.

"Nothing's going to happen!" Hikari shouted.

"I know… but… just in case ok?" Toji said. "You always tell me to be prepared… so I'm bring prepared."

"Jerk… I didn't mean like that…" Hikari said.

"Yeah, well, you know now." Toji said. "I'll see you when I get back…"

"Bye Toji…" Hikari said as Toji jogged off towards the train station.

* * *

July 29, 2016 – NERV 13th Branch, Matsushiro, Japan

The hulking black colored Evangelion was sitting in the Cage in Matsushiro. The Cage was similar to the one used for Unit–00's activation at NERV HQ the year before.

Toji was sitting inside of Unit–03 in his new Entry Plug. He felt uncomfortable in his plugsuit, which was basically a black version of Shinji's. He kept adjusting himself but just couldn't be comfortable. As hard as Toji tried to relax, he was having a really hard time.

" _Toji, how're feeling?_ " Misato asked. " _Your heart rate is slightly elevated._ "

"I'm just a bit nervous." Toji said.

" _There isn't anything to worry about._ " Misato said. " _You're almost there, we just need another few minutes, alright?_ "

"Ok." Toji replied. "Am I supposed to be tingling?"

" _It isn't out of the ordinary, just relax._ " Ritsuko said. " _Establish nerve connections._ "

" _Nerve connections are established through 1890… 1960… 2340… 2500…2590… clear to 2760… 3110… absolute borderline in 90… 60… 40… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–03 is now online._ " The technician said. " _Synchronization score is 32.8%, activation threshold has been surpassed._ "

" _Congratulations, Toji._ " Misato said. " _You've done very well._ "

"Thanks." Toji replied.

" _Yes, you're well above the activation threshold._ " Ritsuko said. " _Final checks, please._ "

" _Checking all Evangelion mechanical systems… all mechanical are systems green… now checking Evangelion bio–components… all bio–components all check out… Evangelion Unit–03 is all clear… activation test complete._ " The technician said.

" _Ok, Toji, we'll shut it down in a minute, then you can go wash up, deal?_ " Misato asked.

"Deal." Toji said, but all he heard was static. "Hey, uh, Misato… you still there?"

" _No, the vixen isn't on the line any longer, boy…_ " Something hissed from inside the EVA.

"Misato!" Toji shouted.

" _She can't help you anymore, boy…_ " The voice hissed. " _And where we're going, no one can hear you scream…_ "

"What?!" Toji shouted as he felt the Evangelion move on its own.

–––

Misato was standing next to Ritsuko with several technicians in front of her. None of the regular bridge bunnies were there, as they were utilizing the resident staff at Matsushiro.

"Ok, Toji, we'll shut it down in a minute, then you can go wash up, deal?" Misato asked as she heard static. "Toji? Everything alright?"

"The signal is dead." Ritsuko said. "Status report!"

The Evangelion's eyes began glowing a bright red and it started to struggle.

"There's an abnormality in the nerve center!" The technician shouted.

"ABORT!" Ritsuko shouted. "Cut all circuits, now!"

The technician slammed his console and the power cable ejected from Unit–03 and clattered to the floor. "Abort failed! Repeat, abort failed! High energy reading from Unit–03 has been detected! It's… it's an S2 Engine!"

"What?!" Misato shouted.

"It's…" Ritsuko muttered.

"…an Angel…" Misato shouted.

Unit–03 struggled against its restraints and broke free of them. The armor plate covering the Entry Plug was blown free and was covered with a glowing blue web. The Evangelion broke free of its jaw restraints an opened it mouth wide as it powered up and let out a massive explosion of energy.

" ** _SSKKKKRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!_** "

The blast destroyed the outbuilding and sent debris flying in all directions. As the blast cleared, from inside the wreckage Unit–03, or rather… Bardiel… could be seen moving away from the explosion.

–––

Mari, Asuka, and Shinji were sitting and eating lunch. Hikari had sat down next to Shinji nervously and huddled against him while she ate. Kensuke was off in the lunchroom getting some food while Asuka and Mari were having the oddest conversation ever.

"You know what would be awesome?" Asuka asked.

"What, princess?" Mari said. "Does it have to do with sex?"

"No it doesn't you perverted idiot…" Asuka said. "Wouldn't it be cool if the EVAs could use attacks like in Dragon Ball Z?"

"Oh, yeah, because that's practical." Mari said.

"Yeah, what if we could just shoot an Angel with a Kamehameha blast." Asuka said happily. "Or a Spirit Bomb!"

"Or a Kienzan!" Mari said.

"No one ever remembers to use that…" Asuka said. "Or we could use the Big Bang Attack!"

"Or the Solar Flare!" Mari said.

Asuka shook her head. "God, you're awful at this…"

"What, it's a cool attack!" Mari said.

"No, Final Flash is a cool attack. Galick Gun is a cool attack. The Special Beam Cannon is a cool attack." Asuka said. "The Solar Flare is for distraction, not killing shit."

"Sorry…" Mari said. "But how would that kind of thing even be practical?"

"Well, instead of waiting for some stupid gun to never penetrate an A.T. Field, we just do this instead." Asuka hopped out of her chair and drew her hands together and moved them to her right side and behind her back. "Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HAAAA!"

"You did this, Mari." Shinji said. "You've caused her to go insane."

"No… she was like this when I found her, puppy." Mari said.

"Oh, whatever, I bet Toji would find this funny." Asuka said as she looked around for him.

"Hey, where's Toji?" Mari asked, finally noticing he wasn't present.

"No idea…" Asuka said. "I didn't see him this morning."

"He's sick today." Hikari said as she looked at Shinji. "He told me last night. Some bad sushi or something."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be fine." Shinji said as he patted her on the back.

"Oh…" Mari said.

"Well, that's what he gets for eating for bad snack food." Asuka said.

"Yeah, sure…" Hikari muttered.

Shinji's cellphone started to ring, and Shinji quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

" _Shinji its Maya._ " Maya said. " _Are the girls with you?_ "

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Shinji asked.

" _There was an explosion at Matsushiro…_ " Maya said. " _We've lost contact with the base._ "

"Is everyone alright?!" Shinji asked fearfully.

" _We don't know… but something has been detected moving away from the base._ " Maya explained. " _We think…_ "

"It's an Angel, right?" Shinji said.

" _That's the assumption._ " Maya said.

"Who's in command with Misato not being there?" Shinji asked.

" _Your father, Shinji…_ " Maya said.

"Great…" Shinji said. "We're on our way."

"Shinji… what's wrong?" Hikari asked.

"Are we needed?" Rei asked.

"Matsushiro." Shinji said. "The base… they've lost contact… we need to go…"

"Oh no…" Hikari said. "Shinji…"

"We need to go." Asuka said.

"Shinji!" Hikari said. "Get him back for me… bring him home…"

"I know…" Shinji said. "I won't let anything happen, I promise."

"Wait… you know?" Asuka said. "That it's…"

"Wait, you knew and didn't tell me?" Shinji said.

"Don't get all bent out of shape, baka." Asuka said.

"Yeah, we thought it was for the best." Mari said.

"Come on, really?" Hikari said. "You both knew and didn't think to tell me or Shinji? Are you out of your mind?!"

"No, it seemed like the logical choice." Rei said.

"You knew too, blueberry?" Mari asked.

"Of course." Rei replied. "Toji asked me to not tell anyone… I only followed his wishes."

"Look, we can worry about this later… we have an Angel to stop, come on, let's go." Shinji said. "We don't have time to waste."

Kensuke walked back into the room as everyone was leaving. "Hey, where are you all going in such a rush?!"

"We'll be back…" Shinji said. "It's an Angel…"

"Another one?!" Kensuke said.

"Yeah, get to the shelter." Shinji said. "Hurry!"

–––

Gendo was sitting in his chair in Central Dogma. He looked down and saw everyone below him working at breakneck pace.

"Rescue teams have been dispatched." Aoba said.

"The target is moving from Matsushiro at a steady pace." Hyuga reported. "It is Pattern Orange, we cannot confirm if it's an Angel!"

"Level–1 battle stations." Gendo said. "Prepare for perimeter combat."

"Aye, Commander!" Hyuga replied.

"Have the pilots arrived yet?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, sir, they're getting prepped now." Maya said.

"As soon as they are ready, launch all the Evangelions to the intercept point." Gendo ordered. "Put the AIS on standby as well."

"And get a visual on the target." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"Yes, sir." Maya said.

–––

All four Evangelions were in their launch positions. Shinji was waiting nervously inside his Entry Plug, and was really hoping that Toji and everyone else was ok.

" _Is everyone ready for launch?_ " Maya asked.

" _Yes, Ms. Ibuki._ " Rei said.

" _Let's kick some Angel ass._ " Mari said.

" _Ditto… I want this one's head on a platter!_ " Asuka said.

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "Go for launch…"

" _All of your sync scores are down, is everything alright?_ " Maya asked.

" _We'll all worried, Ms. Ibuki."_ Rei said. " _We are worried about Misato._ "

" _And we're worried about Toji too…_ " Mari said.

" _Wait, you know?_ " Maya asked.

" _Of course we know, he's our friend!_ " Asuka said.

"Yes, we know Maya…" Shinji said. "Now, can we launch? And when you find anything out about Matsushiro… let us know…"

" _Yes, Shinji. I'll do that…_ " Maya said nervously. " _Good luck up there._ " Maya sighed. " _Unit–XP, Unit–00, Unit–01, and Unit–02… LAUNCHING!_ " Maya said over the comms.

All four Evangelions shot upwards toward the surface and emerged near each other.

" _There are batteries on the surface to get you to the intercept point._ " Maya said. " _Engage them and move out. There will be power cords at the rendezvous._ "

"Roger." Shinji said. "Moving out."

–––

"Sir, I've got something on the main monitor… the target is coming into view!" Aoba reported. "It's…"

"We see it Lieutenant." Fuyutsuki said.

"It's an EVA!" May shouted. "It's Unit–03!"

"I was afraid of this…" Gendo muttered. "Force Eject the Entry Plug! Initiate Omega–055, now!"

"Signal has been rejected, Commander!" Hyuga said. "It's being blocked! Pattern Blue has been detected from Unit–03! It's an Angel!"

"And the pilot?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"We've still receiving telemetry from the Entry Plug." Aoba said. "He's alive… but in severe distress…"

Gendo stared at the screen. 'I am sorry, Shinji… this is for your own good.' Gendo sighed. "The unidentified moving object is to no longer be classified as Unit–03. The object is now to be identified as a hostile target, the Thirteenth Angel."

"What?!" Maya shouted.

"Sir, there's a kid in there!" Aoba said loudly.

"Commander, can't we do something else?!" Hyuga asked.

"Deploy to the intercept point as planned." Gendo ordered. "Destroy the target."

–––

The four Evangelions were waiting at the edge of the city, in the flat lands that had not been built on yet. Shinji was watching the horizon nervously, awaiting whatever formform the Angel took this time to come into range.

" _Target is approaching…_ " Maya reported. " _All EVAs… prepare for ground combat._ "

Unit–01 raised its Pallet Rifle as Shinji saw a faint outline on the horizon. It was a dark figure that looked vaguely familiar. It looked like it had shoulder pylons, and was hunched forward like a beast on the prowl.

"Wait…" Shinji said. "That's… that's the target?!" Shinji shouted. "But it's an EVA! It's Unit–03! Toji's in there!"

" _Shinji… it's no longer an EVA Unit._ " Gendo said. " _It's an Angel now… destroy it._ "

" _It was taken over by an Angel?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Apparently, princess…_ " Mari said. " _Which means the jock needs our help._ "

" _I can't tell from here…_ " Asuka said. " _I think I can see the Entry Plug…_ "

" _So then we must move in and assist Toji._ " Rei said.

"Asuka, you're up front, try to keep it busy while we move forward!" Shinji said.

" _Wha…_ " Asuka said.

" _Aim for the legs, princess…_ " Mari said. " _We don't want to hurt Toji!_ "

–––

Bardiel approached Unit–02, as Unit–02 fired at

" _So… this is the redheaded annoyance…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _Why don't I take care of her for you, boy?_ "

"No, leave her alone!" Toji screamed.

" _Boy, don't you understand yet?_ " Bardiel hissed. " _I'm not going to leave this place until I kill all your friends… and make you watch as I do it._ "

"NO!" Toji shouted.

Bardiel moved forward, towards Unit–02 and knocked the gun out of its hand. Unit–02 fell backwards, and scrambled back to its feet. Before Unit–02 could react, Bardiel picked it up and slammed the EVA's back over its knee.

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Asuka screamed.

" _Asuka!_ " Shinji screamed.

"No, leave my friends alone!" Toji screamed. "Asuka!"

" _Stupid boy… you have no power here…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _You can't stop me, this is my toy now… you're just here for the ride…_ "

"Why can I hear them?!" Toji shouted.

" _Oh… to make the pain all the more satisfying to me…_ " Bardiel hissed.

" _Unit–02 is unresponsive… as is the pilot._ " Hyuga said. " _Sending in the recovery teams._ "

" _Rei, avoid close combat._ " Gendo ordered. " _Delay the target until Unit–XP can attack._ "

" _Understood._ " Rei said.

" _I'm moving in, Rei…_ " Mari said. " _Hold on jock boy…_ "

Unit–00 moved forward to hold off Bardiel. Unit–00 shot at the legs and arms, avoiding any serious wounds as to not hurt Toji.

" _Toji… I am sorry for this…_ " Rei said.

"Rei, its ok, just kill this bastard!" Toji shouted. "Come on, Mari! Hurry up!"

" _They cannot save you, boy…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _No one can save you…_ "

" _Shinji, move in and assist Unit–00!_ " Gendo ordered.

" _Rei… hold on, I'll be right there!_ " Shinji shouted.

Bardiel moved and dodged Unit–00's rifle fire and slammed Unit–00 into the ground by the head, cracking its eye lens and crumpling its head slightly and burying it into the dirt. Bardiel's left arm forced Unit–00's backward, bending it awkwardly. An ooze started to drip out of Bardiel's left arm and infected Unit–00's with the same glowing blue web.

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Rei screamed. " _My arm! It burns!_ "

" _The Angel has invaded Unit–00's left arm!_ " Maya shouted. " _It's penetrating the neural nodes!_ "

"Sever Unit–00's left arm." Gendo said calmly.

" _But, Commander!_ " Maya shouted. " _The neural links are in place!_ "

" _I don't care!_ " Gendo shouted. " _Cut it!_ "

Unit–00's arm was blown off by some sort of internal explosion. It separated the infected portion and saved Unit–00 as a whole. Bardiel's left hand was injured in the blast, and he kicked Unit–00 hard in the gut, denting the armored plating. Bardiel grew two additional arms and lashed them out at Unit–00, lifting it up and slamming it back down to the ground, creating a shallow crater with the force of the impact.

" _AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ " Rei screamed. " _MY ARM!_ " Rei started to cry. " _Shinji… Mari… help me!_ "

"Rei!" Toji shouted. "Rei!"

As Bardiel stood up, Unit–XP opened fire with its massive Gatling gun, hitting the shoulder pylons and back with heavy, exploding ammunition.

" _Take this you EVA stealing cocksucker!_ " Mari shouted. " _Sorry, Toji, hope you can understand! But I need to kill this motherfucker!_ "

"AAAAHHHHH!" Toji screamed. "Goddamnit Mari, try not to kill me in the process!"

" _Please… that big titted buffoon can't do anything to me with her weak little bullets…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _She would need to be far more physical for that to happen…_ "

Unit–XP fired relentlessly at Bardiel which made Bardiel cry out in pain.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are you, asshole?!" Toji shouted.

" _I will be when I infect you with my tendrils…_ " Bardiel said as the blue webbing around the Entry plug shot at Toji and enveloped him in a cocoon. It started to work its way into Toji's skin, and settled there, giving his visible feature a blue, veiny look.

" _How does this feel, boy?_ " Bardiel asked. " _Do you still feel tough?_ "

"Fuck you!" Toji said.

" _Manners boy…_ " Bardiel constricted the web around Toji, causing him to scream in pain.

Unit–XP got caught by a fist to the gut from Bardiel, who grabbed one of the legs and bent it until it snapped, which made Mari very angry.

" _MOTHERFUCKING COCKSUCKER!_ " Mari shouted. " _I'M GOING TO RIP OFF YOUR FUCKING HEAD AND SHIT DOWN YOUR NECK!_ "

Unit–XP charged forward with its spear, but Bardiel knocked it aside and the EVA tried to get up, but went limp.

" _Unit–00 and Unit–XP are unresponsive…_ " Maya said. " _Sending in rescue units now!_ "

" _Shinji, can you hear me?_ " Gendo asked. " _You're the only one left, Shinji, you have to stop the Angel. You have to destroy it._ "

" _No… I can't…_ " Shinji said. " _Toji's in there…_ "

"Yeah you can buddy…" Toji said. "You're my only hope… kill this dumb fucker. Don't worry about me… I'll be fine."

Bardiel charged towards Unit–01, but it didn't move.

"Shinji, move!" Toji shouted. "Come on, man, you can do this!"

–––

Shinji stared at Unit–03 or rather, the Angel moving towards him, frozen in fear.

" _Shinji, why are you standing there?!_ " Gendo shouted. " _Move!_ "

Bardiel attacked Unit–01, slamming it to the ground, and kicking it over towards Tokyo–3. Unit–01 stood uneasily on its feet, and Bardiel landed on all fours and stared at Unit–01 with its glowing red eyes.

"Toji!" Shinji screamed. "Toji, answer me, tell me you're ok! Just say something to let me know you're ok! I'll save you, somehow, even if it kills me!"

Bardiel looked right at Shinji, right at where the Entry Plug, not Unit–01 and let out a primal noise. " ** _SSKKKKRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!_** " Bardiel jumped forward and knocked Unit–01 on its back and began to choke Unit–01.

"Come on… Toji…" Shinji strained as he felt his neck being constricted. "Be safe in there. Give me a sign you're ok…"

" _Pilot vital signs are unstable!_ " Maya shouted. " _Shinji's in danger!_ "

" _Cut the sync rate to 40%!_ " Fuyutsuki shouted. " _Hurry!_ "

" _Wait!_ " Gendo shouted. " _Shinji! Why won't you fight back?!_ "

"I can't…" Shinji strained to speak. "I can't do that… my friend is in there! I won't… hurt… MY FRIEND!"

" _But you'll die._ " Gendo said.

"I don't care about that!" Shinji shouted. "It's better than killing my friend!"

Bardiel threw Unit–01 into the side of the hill and then resumed his assault in Unit–01's exposed neck.

" _Shinji, attack it now!_ " Gendo ordered.

"No!" Shinji shouted. "I'm not hurting Toji! You tricked him into doing this by promising to save his sister, and I won't hurt him just because you tell me to!"  
–––

Toji could see Unit–01 being choked on his monitor. He could also still hear everything over the comm line.

"Shinji, what are you doing?!" Toji shouted. "I'm fine, just kill the bastard! I don't want you to die!"

" _Awww… you have a friend…_ " Bardiel said. " _He's a stupid boy… noble but stupid… he thinks dying will save you… but he doesn't know, you're already mine._ "

"Fuck you, I belong to someone else." Toji shouted. "And she'll kick your ass!"

" _Oh… the cute little slut I see in your mind…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _That girl who's so very open to you… you only gave her your fingers… but she wanted more… although from what I see, you don't have much to offer her… she's a little slut worthy of a horn dog like you… unless you're all talk and no action… whereas she is quiet… but is a massive little slut!_ "

"Don't you talk about Hikari like that you fuck!" Toji shouted.

" _Why not… it's all true…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _She has offered you her body… and you refused the dumb whore… you told her you didn't think it was appropriate… and she agreed with you quite begrudgingly. I bet you regret that decision now… you'll never get to feel her soft insides on you… you'll never feel her wetness again… I will see to that, boy…_ "

"Fuck you!" Toji shouted.

" _Oh, you think that's going to make me afraid._ " Bardiel hissed. " _You're wrong boy… very wrong indeed._ "

–––

Gendo cut the comm lines to Unit–01.

"Cut the sync between Unit–01 and its idiotic pilot." Gendo said.

"Cut…" Maya said. "Sir…?"

"Switch the sync circuit to the Dummy System." Gendo said. "Set the sync rate to 55%."

"But, sir!" Maya shouted. "The Dummy System hasn't been debugged yet… it's still volatile… and she recommended it not be activated without her express consent! The system is useless sir!"

"It can't be more useless than our current pilot." Gendo said angrily. "Just do it."

"Sir…" Maya said.

"That's an order, Lieutenant." Gendo said. "This is for Shinji's best interests."

"What about Toji's best interest!" Maya asked. "He could die!"

"This will save my son!" Gendo shouted. "Activate the system!"

Everyone stared at Gendo in shocked silence. He had never openly admitted in public that Shinji was his son, or anything in regards to his relationship with him.

Maya kept staring at him and tapped her console. "Yes, sir…" Maya sighed. "Activating the Dummy System."

–––

Shinji was having trouble breathing, and the screens inside the Entry Plug were flickering on and off. When they were on, they showed Bardiel choking the shit out of Unit–01, which was of course transferring to Shinji's neck.

"Can't… breathe…" Shinji coughed out. "Damn it…"

Shinji felt the pressure disappear from his neck, and then Shinji heard something behind him activate.

"What the hell is that?" Shinji said.

The Entry Plug's view screen was overlaid with a deep red hue and something from behind Shinji moved forward and blocked some of Shinji's view of the Entry Plug. Two arms locked into place over the control yokes and secured them in place. Shinji tried moving them, but was unsuccessful. The message "DMYSYS" came over the view screen in front of Shinji's face.

" _Nervous system now linked to Dummy System._ " Maya said. " _Emotive perception at only 67.2%, we're unable to monitor the Evangelion's movements properly._ "

" _Release the system._ " Gendo said. " _Commence attack!_ "

Unit–01's eyes turned red. It reached its hands up and started choking Bardiel back. Shinji could see some of what was happening through the red haze of the Entry Plug's view screen. Unit–01 broke its jaw restraints and let out a horrible scream. " ** _RRRRRAAAAHHHH!_** " Unit–01 jumped up and behind Bardiel and put him into the choke hold tossed Bardiel over its shoulder. Unit–01 jumped at Bardiel and began to beat the armor with its fists and it stated to buckle and bleed.

"Why won't it respond?!" Shinji shouted. "Father, what the fuck did you do to Unit–01?! Why is it attacking Unit–03?! Damn it all, why did you do this you bastard?! Why!?"

" _The useless pilot should just sit there and shut up._ " Gendo said.

Blood began pouring from the dents in Bardiel's' armor and it poured everywhere with each punch that landed.

–––

Toji was crying out in pain inside his Entry Plug.

"Shinji!" Toji cried. "Shinji… it hurts! Please, stop!"

" _See… your friend doesn't care about you, boy._ " Bardiel hissed. " _I don't think he ever did. He only ever tolerated you, didn't he? You were just extra baggage he picked up… he doesn't care about you!_ "

"Then why did you shut off the comm system you bastard!" Toi shouted. "It's not him, is it?! Well, you're hiding something you smug son of a bitch!"

" _I don't hide anything, boy._ " Bardiel hissed. " _I am not some lowly human… I do not need to lie. I am better than you!_ "

"Yeah, sure!" Toji shouted. "Go on, Shinji, kill this thing, even if you have to kill me to do it! I know you're just doing what's best for us all!"

" _So, you'd rather die than live with me in here forever…_ " Bardiel hissed. " _How rude… but I doubt your body can stand up to this assault much longer… you're weak… you can't even heal yourself… you're so pathetic, you can't even live forever without the fruit of life… you're body has a finite amount of punishment it can take._ "

"Yeah, well, my buddy there is the best at killing you freaky motherfuckers!" Toji shouted.

" _Well, if I go down, you're coming with me…_ " Bardiel hissed.

"It'll be worth it to see you fucking die!" Toji retorted.

"Father, what did you do!" Shinji said. "Make it stop, right now!" Shinji kept trying to move the control yokes, but they were locked in place by the Dummy System. "Father, you're going to kill him! Stop it! Fucking stop it!"

" _It… it's so brutal…_ " Aoba said.

" _Why would they create something like this?_ " Hyuga asked.

Shinji could hear Maya throwing up over the comm. " _It's… it's inhuman…_ "

Shinji banged against the Dummy System's demented body. "Somebody, help me!" Shinji shouted. "EVA, help me, please, make this stop! You helped me before, just make this stupid system stop! It's killing my friend, and I promised… I PROMISED I'D PROTECT HIM! I PROMISED HIS GIRLFRIEND I'D GET HIM HOME SAFE!"

Unit–01 froze in place while Bardiel struggled weakly in its strong grip. Unit–01's eyes shut off and its jaw went slack. Shinji was plunged into darkness as the Entry Plug shutdown. He heard the machine around him shutter and it almost sounded as though it shirked in pain as it retreated from the control yokes. The Entry Plug came back online, and the controls returned to normal. Unit–01's eyes began to glow a bright yellow once again, and they fixed themselves in Bardiel. Shinji backed Unit–01 off of Bardiel and saw it struggle up to his feet. The chest was bleeding severely, and a lot of the armor was missing. The Core could be seen through the mashed pulp of flesh in the chest. Its right shoulder had been damaged quite severely from the beating, and its left hand was still bleeding from when Unit–00's arm had blown itself off.

The two mechanized creatures stared each other down and let out primal roars before they charged each other again.

Bardiel pounded the ground and stared down Unit–01 and let out a howl. " ** _SSKKKKRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!_** "

Unit–01 leaned down roared in response. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Both machines charged each other again, with Unit–01 landing a hard right hook to Bardiel's face, followed by a quick left knee to the groin and then a roundhouse kick with the left leg while Bardiel was still recovering from the initial assault. The kick sent Bardiel right into the hill side, head first, burying him in the dirt.

Bardiel struggled to his feet and had trouble staying standing. Unit–01 charged forward and jumped up, right knee extended outward, and connected the blow with Bardiel's chin, knocking him back to the ground.

Unit–01 grabbed Bardiel's leg and swung the Angel around and let it go, sending Bardiel flying towards another hill, and knocking him down, and he did not get right back up, and Unit–01 celebrated for a moment. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––  
Everyone was watching the battle no with relief, seeing as the Dummy System had been deactivated. However, Gendo was concerned how the system had been shut down.

"What is going on?!" Gendo shouted. "Reactivate the Dummy System!"

"We can't sir, the signal is being rejected by Unit–01!" Maya reported. "And the Dummy System is being shown as destroyed, sir!"

"Has it gone berserk?" Gendo asked.

"I'm not sure sir." Maya said. "It's energy output has increased like the other berserk incidents… but Shinji is fully in control of Unit–01… his sync ratio is abnormally high… but it's highly unstable… I don't think he can keep this up for long."

"What?!" Gendo shouted. 'Yui, what are you doing?' Gendo thought. 'Why are you blocking the Dummy System?'

Fuyutsuki smiled. 'Good job, Shinji…'

"Can we communicate with Unit–01?" Gendo asked.

"No, sir." Maya said. "All communications from us are being blocked specifically."

"Fine." Gendo said angrily. "What is the status of the rescue teams?"

"Asuka and Rei have been recovered." Maya said. "They're both unconscious, but are otherwise alright."

"What about Unit–XP?" Gendo asked.

"It's… back online?" Hyuga said in a puzzled voice.

"Where is it going?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"It's headed right back into the battle zone." Hyuga said.

"What's it condition?" Gendo asked.

"It's left arm and back right leg are completely destroyed." Aoba reported. "Her other legs are in various damaged states, and her arm spear is in ok condition… and she's brought it online!"

"What?!" Fuyutsuki shouted.

"She's moving at high speed towards the Angel!" Maya said.

–––

Bardiel charged Unit–01 again, but was clotheslined by Unit–01's right arm. Bardiel got back up and attacked again, but received a two footed kick to the gut, sending him flying backwards.

"STAY DOWN!" Shinji roared. "CAN'T YOU TAKE A FUCKING HINT?!"

Bardiel got back up, and stood there for a second. He eyed Unit–01 angrily and bowed down, head first, and charged again, coming up to full height, but it never reached Unit–01, instead, Unit–XP charged in front of the raging Bardiel and drove its spear straight through the right breast, impaling the bastard, and lifting him off his feet.

" _You thought you got rid of me, huh you son of a bitch?!_ " Mari shouted. " _Puppy! Get the Entry Plug out of there, now!_ "

"Right!" Shinji shouted as he moved Unit–01 behind Bardiel and deployed a Prog Knife. He cut into the material holding the Plug in place. He cut through it, which caused Bardiel to scream out in agony.

"Hold in, Toji!" Shinji said. "Just hold on!"

Shinji cut the glowing blue web free and pried the Entry Plug out and held it gently in his hands. The blue webbing left on the Entry Plug slowly died off. "I got it!" Shinji shouted.

" _Good job, puppy, but I need some fucking help!_ " Mari shouted.

"Hold on!" Shinji said. "Where do I put the Entry Plug?"

" _Shinji, there's a recovery vehicle coming in from the east, get it to them, quickly!_ " Maya said. " _They'll take care of your friend!_ "

"Alright!" Shinji said as Unit–01 ran towards the approaching trucks. Meanwhile, Unit–XP was having trouble keeping Bardiel on its spear.

" _Puppy, hurry your ass up, I'm in trouble over here!_ " Mari shouted.

"I'm trying, Mari!" Shinji said. "But I need to get Toji to safety first!"

As Unit–01 made it to the trucks, Unit–XP was dealing with Bardiel sliding himself down the spear towards Unit–XP. Once within reach, Bardiel reached out and began choking Unit–XP as hard as he could with his injuries, and Unit–XP was unable to defend itself. Bardiel ripped off the right arm at its joint and throttled Unit–XP until it went limp

" _Shinji…_ " Mari said weakly. " _Help… please…_ "

"MARI!" Shinji shouted.

Bardiel threw Unit–XP aside and looked at its limp formform. Bardiel charged at Unit–XP, but was tackled by Unit–01.

"YOU'VE HURT ENOUGH OF MY FRIENDS TODAY, YOU BASTARD!" Shinji screamed. "NOW GO BACK TO HELL!"

Unit–01 threw Bardiel away from Unit–XP and Bardiel hit the ground hard, spraying blood everywhere. As Bardiel got back up and charged Unit–01, Unit–01 charged it back, and plunged its fist through the opening in Bardiel's chest and punched the core and artificial spine out of the former Evangelion. Unit–01 pulled its fist out of Bardiel's chest. In his death throws, Bardiel tried to attack one last time, but Shinji and Unit–01 retaliated by catching Bardiel with a kick to the chest, and leapt on top of the fallen Angel. Unit–01 proceeded to rip off each of Bardiel's arms, and then pummeled the Angel's face until it was nothing but pulp. Finally, after being covered in blood, Unit–01 stood up proudly and roared mightily.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––

Alarms were going off in Central Dogma. After refusing the recall order, Unit–01 was now back in the Geofront, but was refusing to comply with the order to stand down, and was bearing down on the pyramid that mad up the visible structure of NERV HQ in the Geofront.

Shinji looked at the building in disgust and moved steadily towards it. "What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Shinji shouted.

" _Shinji…_ " Maya said. " _We only activated that thing to help you._ "

"Don't feed me my father's shit!" Shinji shouted. "He used my hands to try and kill my friend, he ordered you to activate that fucking system! I heard you throw up at what it was doing, so don't try and play this off like it for my benefit!"

" _Shinji, you could have died!_ " Hyuga said. " _Please, just stand down and let us recover you!_ "

"NO!" Shinji shouted. "I REFUSE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT ANYMORE! I CAN'T TRUST PEOPLE WHO WOULD TRY AND KILL SOMEONE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SAVE THEM!"

" _Shinji, you are in direct violation of your orders, stand down immediately or we will be forced to put you down._ " Gendo said calmly.

"You can take your orders and shove them up your ass, father!" Shinji shouted.

" _Eject the power cord immediately._ " Gendo ordered.

" _Yes, sir._ " Aoba replied.

Unit–01's power cable ejected and slammed into the ground, and Shinji started to laugh. "Are you being stupid or something?!" Shinji said mockingly. "I have five minutes of power left… do you want to see how much damage I can do to you?! I'm sure it'll still be less damage than what Toji suffered through!"

" _Shinji, please stop!_ " Maya implored.

"Not likely!" Shinji said. "Now you'll know how it feels to cry out for something to stop, and have absolutely no control over it! What if it was Mari in that EVA, or Rei, or Asuka?! Would you have made me kill them you fucker?!"

" _If it was in the best interests of NERV, they are expendable._ " Gendo said.

"You fucking bastard! You would have me kill my friends just because you asked me to! I'll show you what it's like to feel fear!" Shinji pushed both control yokes hard forward. "ATTACK!"

Unit–01 charged towards the pyramid and sank both its fists into the southern side and leapt upwards, creating two channels upwards where its arms freed themselves from the mess of metal they left behind.

" _Shinji, please!_ " Maya shouted.

" _Shinji, stop this before you get hurt!_ " Hyuga called out.

"NO! NO ONE LISTENED WHEN I SCREAMED FOR IT TO STOP!" Shinji repeated. "NOW YOU'LL ALL FEEL AS POWERLESS AS I DID!"

Unit–01 climbed to the top of the pyramid and began stomping on its point, and it buckled easily under the might of Unit–01's blows.

–––

The lights in Central Dogma had been shutting off and coming back on since Shinji and Unit–01 began assaulting the base. Everything in the base shook from the heavy assault.

"If we don't stop him now he will destroy the entire base." Gendo said. "Increase the pressure of the LCL to knock him out."

"Sir…" Hyuga said. "That is not recommended."

"It is either his health, or the safety of this base." Gendo said. "Execute my orders, Lieutenant."

"Roger." Hyuga said. "Sir, the signal is being blocked!"

"What?!" Gendo shouted. "By who!"

"The EVA itself." Hyuga said. "Unit–01 is rejecting the signal!"

"Damn it!" Gendo said.

"Now what do we do, Commander?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"We can't do anything…" Gendo said. "We are powerless to stop him."

"What are his vitals?" Gendo asked.

"His sync rate is still massively high, but it's still unnatural looking." Maya said.

"The sync rate seems to be being supported by the controlled berserk state he's in." Maya said. "Everything is fluctuating rapidly, but the synchrograph still shows him in control."

"Will he pass out from the strain?" Gendo asked.

"I don't know, sir." Maya said. "He might, but then again, he might not… and we'll have to wait until the internal batteries run out before we know for sure."

–––

Unit–01 continued its assault on the pyramid, it had reduced much of it to a pile of twisted girders and bent sheets of metal.

"HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS?!" Shinji said as Unit–01 kicked down the remnants of the east wall. "HAVE YOU RUN OUT OF WAYS TO STOP ME, FATHER!" Shinji slammed the pyramid again with Unit–01's fist. "WHAT IS IT FATHER, ARE YOU AFRAID TO TALK TO ME NOW THAT IM IN CONTROL. NOW THAT I HAVE THE POWER?!"

An alarm went off, showing Shinji had "0:30:00" left on his clock, but he had trouble seeing the timer, as his vision was getting blurry.

" _Shinji, stop it now!_ " Maya shouted. " _Your heart rate is spiking dangerously!_ "

"No, I'm not done wrecking this stupid thing yet!" Shinji shouted as his vision began to cloud around him. "I can't see what I'm doing, but I'm going to finish what I started! I'm not running away!"

The last thing Shinji saw was Unit–01's right fist landing a punch to the side of the pyramid, and then as Shinji lost consciousness, Unit–01's eyes ceased glowing, and it collapsed in a heap onto the decimated ruins of the pyramid

–––

Misato stirred from her unconsciousness. The last thing she remembered was flashing behind her eyelids. Unit–03's successful activation, and then the detection of the Angel. She remembered a flash that reminded her of Second Impact, and then nothing… she couldn't remember anything else.

"Misato…" Someone above her said. "Misato, wake up!"

"Kaji…?" Misato grumbled as her head throbbed horribly. "My head… it hurts…"

"Yeah, it's me." Kaji replied. "And your head hurts from being in the middle of the blast zone, Misato… you have a concussion and broken arm, and some cuts too… you're pretty lucky."

"Right… lucky… just like last time… but… Unit–03…" Misato said, and when she realized what she said, everything came flooding back to her and she sat up quickly, which didn't help, and she threw up all over herself. She looked at Kaji desperately. "Kaji, Toji, what happened to Toji!"

"Toji's… well… he'll be ok." Kaji said. "It could be a whole lot worse…"

"What's wrong with him?!" Misato shouted, which aggravated her own headache. "I promised Shinji I'd keep him safe!"

"He's pretty messed up right now." Kaji said. "He's in a coma, with seven broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, two broken legs, and broken left arm, fractured spinal column… the list goes on. He's lucky to be alive from the beating he took, and from the intense pressure the Angel had him under."

"Is he contaminated?!" Misato asked.

"No… the Angel was ripped out of him when the Entry Plug was pulled out of Unit–03." Kaji explained. "That's why he's in the coma… but the doctors are pretty sure he'll be alright, but they're optimistic at least."

"What about the kids?!" Misato asked frantically. "Who stopped Unit–03?!"

"The girls all got pretty banged up, some cuts and scrapes, but the EVAs protected them pretty well. As for killing the Angel… it was… Shinji…" Kaji said. "He was the only one to stand up to it for any length of time and not get put down. Mari put up a good fight, but Unit–XP is in bad shape. Thankfully those bionic parts are easy to fix."

"Shinji took out the Angel?" Misato asked.

"Well, the Commander decided it was time to try the Dummy System…" Kaji started.

"No!" Misato shouted. "That thing is an abomination! Why would he…?"

"Shinji refused to fight, and said he'd rather die than let his friend get hurt." Kaji said.

"So… what happened to Shinji?" Misato asked. "Is he alright?"

"Unit–01 broke the Dummy System, and it gave control back to Shinji. When the fight finished, he was really angry with what his father tried to do." Kaji explained to a stunned Misato. "He assaulted and destroyed the pyramid in a rage… he's in custody in his hospital bed. He's in big trouble, and I don't see it getting better for him."

"No… Shinji…" Misato muttered. "What did you do?"

"He fought back against his father." Kaji said. "You should be proud of him for standing up for himself."

"I am… but what will I do without him?" Misato said. "I love him like my own son."

"Maybe tell him that." Kaji said. "All we can do right now is hope for the best."

"Yeah… make the best of the second worst situation I've ever seen…" Misato mumbled.

–––

Asuka, Mari and Rei were standing just inside of Shinji's room. They were all still in their plugsuits, of course their plugsuits were ripped and torn all over the place. Rei was being supported by Mari and Asuka, because her back was still in a lot of pain from Bardiel's assault. Asuka had a bandage over her eye from a cut she got from her face slamming into the control console in the Entry Plug. Mari was shaking slightly from having felt her arms get ripped off that day.

There were two black suited guards outside Shinji's room, keeping the girls from going in. However, after a heavy berating from both Asuka and Mari, they allowed them to stand just inside the doorway.

"He's still unconscious." Asuka said tearfully. "He wasn't physically hurt, not like our sorry asses… he was able to fight back."

"Hey, we did our best." Mari said. "We did what we needed to do."

"No… Asuka is correct." Rei said. "We were ineffective in this fight. We were stuck down very quickly."

"Speak for yourself, blueberry." Mari said. "I stabbed that fucker and almost lost my arms to help Shinji out. But, Asuka's right, you both got wrecked."

"Mari, enough about your heroics." Asuka grumbled.

"Yes, Mari…" Rei said. "We are a team, as you like to remind Asuka when she becomes full of herself. Perhaps you are falling victim to the same sword."

"Fine… fine… I'm sorry… I got my ass handed to me too." Mari said. "But uh… guys, have you noticed Shinji is under armed guard?" Mari asked. "And he's cuffed to the fucking bed? What the fuck world are we in?"

"I do not know…" Rei said. "Shinji, killed the Angel, did he not? Why is he in trouble? What could he have done wrong?"

"Maybe…" Mari said. "Shinji might have done something wrong…"

"I know what he did." Asuka said.

"How?" Mari asked.

"Well, I was awake while they pulled me out of the Entry Plug." Asuka explained. "Shinji went on a rampage… he had full control over his berserk EVA… and he was mad his father used him to almost kill Toji. He said… he said he wanted them to feel as powerless as he did. So he destroyed the pyramid. He refused to stop until the EVA ran out of power, he almost died trying to prove his point."

"Wait… he went on a rampage, over hurting his friends?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, his father said we were all expendable." Asuka said. "That pushed him over the edge… way over the edge."

"So, Shinji went on the attack over the threat of hurting us?" Rei asked.

"Yeah… I've never heard him sound so angry." Asuka said. "I was scared of him… he sounded… different."

"So, Shinji would rather die than hurt us…" Mari said. "He's still the sweetest boy there is."

"Yeah, it's a shame that he's in deep shit." Asuka said.

"Do you know anything about Toji?" Rei asked. "I am worried about him."

"I overheard he was in the ICU." Mari said. "That can't be good."

"He is still alive…" Rei said. "That is what matters."

"Yeah, I just hope he and Shinji will be ok…" Asuka said. "I don't like it when bad shit happens to us"

"Well, princess, we're Evangelion pilots…" Mari said. "Bad shit follows us around."

* * *

July 31, 2016 – NERV HQ

Shinji had woken up in a daze. He had been handcuffed to his bed in the hospital room, and had been completely alone, except for Kaji leaning against the wall and waiting for him. Kaji told him that the Commander wanted to see him as soon as he was awake. So, that's where Kaji dragged him after Shinji got dressed, right to his father's office.

On the way, Kaji talked to Shinji a bit.

"I'm sorry about this, Shinji." Kaji said.

"Yeah, you told me already." Shinji said. "The bastard said I had to see him, even if I had to drag myself there. He's the same as he's always been apparently."

"Yeah, you have a wonderful father." Kaji said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I won that award." Shinji said. "Best father ever."

"Hey, a lot of kids have bad fathers." Kaji said.

"Do their fathers push them inside massive robots?" Shinji asked. "Or do their fathers try to force you to kill your friends?"

"Ok… point taken." Kaji said. "Just relax… go in there and face him down. Stand up for what you believe in, that's all that matters."

"I think I can handle that." Shinji said.

"Yeah, just don't handle it like the pyramid." Kaji joked.

"Whatever…" Shinji grumbled.

Kaji was about to knock on the door, but it opened before his hand made contact and they walked in Shinji stood a few feet from his father's desk, with Kaji standing right behind him, his hand resting gently on Shinji's shoulder.

"You can let him go, Mr. Kaji." Gendo ordered. "He is no threat to me."

"Whatever you say, Commander." Kaji replied.

"You're looking better than I expected." Gendo adjusted his glasses as Shinji stared him down. "Now then… do you know why you're here?"

"You're being a massive asshole." Shinji quipped while Kaji smirked.

"That is one opinion." Gendo said. "No, you're here to answer for your actions on the 29th of July. There is a list of charges against you. Dereliction of duty, willful possession of an EVA for personal use, destruction of NERV property, reckless endangerment, breach of lawful orders, and the list goes on…" Gendo looked down. "What do you have to say for yourself, Shinji?"

Shinji's right fist clenched. "What do I…" Shinji said. "What do I have to say?" Shinji asked angrily. "Don't _you_ have something to say to _me_?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gendo asked. "I'm the one asking the questions here, you're expected to answer them."

Shinji glared at his father and shifted his weight onto one foot. Kaji noticed the change, but even though he could have stopped him, he didn't.

Shinji rushed forward and leaped over his father's desk, and his right fist collided with his father's face, knocking him, in shock, to the ground. Shinji straddled him and began to beat him mercilessly.

"You have nothing to say?!" Shinji shouted. "Not even the tiniest apology?! You tried to kill my friend! You tried to make me into a fucking murderer!" Shinji kept hitting his father's face. "Do you even know what it's like to be a murderer?! You must, the rumors have to be true! Everything I heard about you in Atsugi is true! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! YOU KILLED HER, AND YOU WANTED ME TO BE A KILLER JUST LIKE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU, I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

Shinji shifted his attack to Gendo's chest and slammed his fists hard into his rib, which made Gendo cough heavily with each blow. "HOW ABOUT I MAKE YOU FEEL WHAT TOJI FELT IN THAT ENTRY PLUG WHILE THAT THIG BEAT HIM WITH MY HANDS!" Shinji roared. "I'LL MAKE YOU FEEL THE SAME FEAR AND PAIN HE DID WHILE UNIT–01 BROKE OPEN UNIT–03'S CHEST! I'LL RIP YOUR CHEST OPEN AND FIND OUT IF YOU EVEN HAVE A FUCKING HEART! I HATE YOU! I WANT YOU TO FUCKING DIE! I WISH YOU HAD DIED INSTEAD OF MOM! SHE'S A BETTER PARENT THAN YOU COULD HAVE EVER HOPED TO BE! YOU ABANDONED ME AND LEFT ME ALONE WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST, AND I CAME BACK HERE HOPING WE COULD FIX OUR RELATIONSHIP, BUT ALL YOU DID WAS USE ME! YOU'RE FUCKING WORTHLESS! YOU DIDN'T DESERVE MY MOTHER'S LOVE! YOU'RE A FUCKING BASTARD!"

Shinji kept beating his father's chest until his hands started to crack and bleed. Kaji, noticing that the Commander was in real danger moved in and put Shinji in a choke hold.

"Shinji, that's enough!" Kaji said.

"NO IT ISN'T!" Shinji roared. "HE'S STILL BREATHING!"

"Shinji, calm down!" Kaji said.

"No, let him be." Gendo said as he struggled to his feet. "We can add assaulting a superior officer to the long list of charges already against him. And if he hates me so much, he can go back to that godforsaken place he called home for all those years. I don't ever want to see such a disappointment for a child again. You're done here Shinji."

"So you're abandoning me again?!" Shinji shouted. "You… FUCKING COWARD!"

"Mr. Kaji…" Gendo said as he supported himself on his desk. "Escort the former Third Child to his former residence to collect his essentials. The rest will be mailed to him in Atsugi. Get him out of my sight."

"Sir, I don't think that's the best idea." Kaji said.

"I have no use for a pilot who doesn't follow orders and who endangers everyone around him." Gendo said. "And I certainly don't need a disappointment for a child like him." Gendo turned to Shinji. "Go back where you came from, you have your wish, you'll never have to see me again." Gendo stared Shinji down as Kaji struggled to restrain him. "Mr. Kaji, escort him out immediately."

"Whatever you say sir." Kaji said. "But you were wrong about him being a threat, and you're wrong about this decision too."

"My orders do not need an opinion piece added to them." Gendo said. "Carry them out."

"Yes sir, Commander." Kaji said as he dragged Shinji for the room.

–––

Gendo sat at his desk, nursing his wounds when Ritsuko came into his office, followed by Fuyutsuki. They both looked at him in disbelief.

"What happened here?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"The former Third Child attacked me in a fit of rage." Gendo said.

"I would have expected that kind of behavior from Asuka…" Ritsuko said. "But from Shinji? I doubt it."

"You saw the pyramid." Gendo said. "That was his handiwork as well."

"I'm sorry, former Third Child?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"He is to be removed as pilot immediately." Gendo said. "Rei is now the exclusive pilot of Unit–01, and all Dummy Plugs are to be pulled from the other Evangelions and used as the backup for Unit–01's new pilot."

"Commander, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't activated the Dummy System." Ritsuko said. "I told you it was incomplete. Whatever reaction Shinji had to it being on was more than deserved."

"It was the only option." Gendo said.

"If you had looked at the data, I believe was going to ask for Unit–01's help." Ritsuko said angrily. "You just dislike not being in control."

"No, I dislike my orders being disobeyed." Gendo said. "It is as simple as that."

"Ikari, this is problematic." Fuyutsuki said. "We are now down a pilot, we need all the available Evangelions we can muster."

"We will make due with Unit–01, Unit–02, and Unit–XP." Gendo replied. "How are repairs coming along?"

"In the two days since the battle damaged most of them?" Ritsuko asked. "Unit–01 and Unit–02 are fully operational and ready for deployment. Unit–00 is still under repair. Its head has been repaired, but the arm is proving far more difficult to manage. It's been reattached, but it's in no condition to fight, maybe support, as long as it's far out of the Angel's strike range. As for Unit–XP… well, the legs have been repaired, and the arms should be back online later today, but the bionics need an overhaul, and wit us losing two Evangelions, we can't afford to replace some components."

"So we have three battle ready Evangelions?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, I will clear Unit–XP for combat in the next few hours." Ritsuko said.

"Good, and what about Unit–03?" Gendo asked. "Is it salvageable?"

"Ikari, are you asking what I think you're asking?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Of course." Gendo said. "The Fourth Child is still alive, and has all his limbs still attached. He is capable of piloting an Evangelion if he is required to do so."

"Sir, I have removed Suzuhara from active duty, he's been medically discharged pending further review. He's got the worst injuries of anyone in the program so far." Ritsuko explained. "He beats out Rei's injuries from when Unit–00 went berserk last year."

"Your point?" Gendo asked.

"My point is, he is in no condition to fight, especially not now." Ritsuko said.

"Fine." Gendo said tersely. "But is Unit–03 salvageable?"

"In short… yes." Ritsuko said. "The same technology we used to clear out any residual contamination in Suzuhara we can use on Unit–03. The problem is making sure his mother's soul is still intact, and hasn't been taken over by the Angel. We know the Core now possesses an S2 Engine."

"So, what does that mean for us?" Gendo asked.

"It means if I can clear out the remnants of the Angel, I can say we have an Evangelion equipped with an S2 Engine we can use for combat at some point." Ritsuko said.

"Place Unit–03 in cold storage then, and keep the project quiet." Gendo ordered. "We don't need the wrong people catching wind of these developments."

"Understood, sir." Ritsuko said. "Is there anything else?"

"No, I believe that is everything." Gendo said. "Just make sure to find a way to reconstruct Unit–03. We may need it in the future."

"I understand, Commander." Ritsuko said.

–––

Shinji was escorted to the apartment by Kaji. He was brought inside and several Section 2 agents waited outside, at Kaji's request. As Shinji went silently to his room, the girls all came home, with Rei in tow, and after having seen the guards, came inside in a panic wondering what was going on.

"Kaji, what the hell are you doing here?!" Misato shouted. "And why the fuck are there guards outside my door?!"

"Misato…" Kaji said. "This isn't a good time. We don't have a lot of time."

"What do you mean "we" Kaji?" Asuka asked.

"Shinji's getting his things." Kaji said. "Don't make this any harder on him."

"What are you talking about?!" Mari asked angrily.

"Baka, get out here!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, I told you to not make this any harder!" Kaji said admonishingly.

"I don't care!" Asuka said "I want to know what happened!"

"I've been removed from piloting." Shinji said, coming out of his room with a backpack.

"How did that happen?!" Mari asked angrily.

"I attacked my father." Shinji said. "I had enough of his shit. He told me to leave because I was a disappointment him."

"Aren't you going to fight it?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"I don't think I should." Shinji said. "I failed you all… I let Toji get hurt… I froze up during that fight until it was too late… I'm the reason all this happened. I don't deserve your friendship anymore… I broke my one promise… my one reason to pilot the EVA… to protect my friends… if I can't do that… than I don't deserve to be here…"

"Shinji, you can't mean that." Mari said somewhat tearfully.

"I do… I'm a danger to you all." Shinji said. "I can't stay here and keep putting you guys at risk… I could freeze up again… I could get you all killed. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen."

"Shinji, you cannot leave." Rei pleaded. "You are not a danger to us. We require your assistance. Without you, Toji would have been killed. You have a strong bond with your Evangelion that none of the rest of us have. We need you here Shinji, I want you to… stay. Please… stay with us."

"I can't Rei…" Shinji said. "I don't deserve your friendship. I'm a burden none of you deserve to have. You have enough on your plates without me being here too."

Rei and Mari looked heartbroken at Shinji's words, and Misato was still speechless. Asuka however got mad and stepped forward to express her displeasure with Shinji.

SLAP

"What are you, fucking stupid or something?!" Asuka shouted. "You're being selfish by thinking we don't need you! You're the one person we can all rely on to be there for us! You can't just leave us here… without you, we're way more likely to die!"

"No… Asuka… luck has carried me this far… I don't have actual skill… and any luck I may have had has run out." Shinji said. "My friend is in a coma, I put hi there… and I let the rest of you down… you all got hurt because of me…"

"Shinji, you didn't let us get hurt, we got attacked by a brutal Angel!" Asuka shouted. "I froze too! I didn't want to hurt Toji! I couldn't do it, and I got hurt! It's not your fault!"

"Yes it is." Shinji said. "I'm sorry… I guess I'm a disappointment to you too."

Asuka stared at him blankly. "Shinji… you're not… I… I don't want you to leave…"

"I have to Asuka… I don't have any fight left anymore…" Shinji said woefully. "I can't stand to see you guys get hurt anymore because I keep fucking up."

Asuka stepped forward again, with tears in her eyes, and brought Shinji into a tight hug. "Shinji… please… don't go. You can't leave…"

"I…" Shinji muttered.

Mari stepped forward and enveloped the both of them in a hug. "Shinji, you can't leave…" Mari said tearfully. "You're my best friend… you're the first person I met here… what would I do without you?"

"I don't… I don't know…" Shinji muttered. "I'll miss you all when I'm gone… but I…"

"But what?" Mari asked.

"I don't know anymore…" Shinji said weakly. "I let you down too Mari… I let you get hurt, I should have been faster… I shouldn't have frozen up."

"Shinji…" Rei said as she stepped forward and hugged Shinji and the others. "I do not wish you to leave, but I know what disobeying the Commander's orders means. You must go… but I will talk to him… I will tell him how much we all need you."

"Rei… you don't have to do that." Shinji said.

"No, I need to." Rei said. "You leaving causes more harm than good, and I will tell your… the Commander that."

"Yeah, blueberry, you do that." Mari said. "You're right, we need him."

"Yeah, we do need him…" Asuka said.

Misato finally spoke, coming out of her state of shock. "Shinji, you don't have to go." Misato said. "You're still in my custody. I'm your guardian and I refuse to let you leave."

"Actually, Misato…" Kaji said. "The Commander rescinded that order… you're no more to him than an acquaintance now… I'm sorry…"

"He did… what?" Misato asked. "He can't take him away… I love him like my own son…I love all of them like my children… I know I care for him more than the Commander ever would!"

"Misato, that doesn't matter." Kaji said.

"Yes it does!" Misato shouted. "He doesn't understand anything, does he?!"

The girls let go of Shinji while Misato broke down crying. Shinji walked over to her and enveloped her in a massive hug. "Misato… I love you too…"

"Shinji, I don't want you to go…" Misato said.

"I know, but I have to go…" Shinji said.

Kaji motioned to him, and Shinji broke away from his hug with Misato and grabbed his bags. "I have to go now… I've stayed too long."

"Baka…" Asuka said tearfully. "I won't ever forget you…"

"You better call us…" Mari said.

"Until… until next time."

"Kaji… don't do this…" Misato said.

"I have to, Misato…" Kaji said sadly. "Orders are orders… even if I dislike them…" Kaji walked to the door. "Come on, Shinji, we have a train to catch."

"Goodbye…" Shinji said as he walked sadly out the door.

–––

Kaji and Shinji arrived at the train station a short while later. Kaji walked him up to the train and stood with him while they waited for the train cars to arrive.

"Shinji, I'm going to miss you… and the girls will too…" Kaji said. "You've been a bright ray of light in this hellhole."

"Thanks Kaji…" Shinji said. "For everything… the pep talks and stuff… but I guess I don't deserve to be with Asuka after all."

"Shinji, you shouldn't say that." Kaji said. "We'll get you back here soon enough."

The train pulled up and stopped right in front of them. "I guess this is goodbye then." Shinji said. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah, kid…" Kaji said. "I'll come see you in Atsugi sometime… maybe bring the girls somehow… I'll figure something out…"

As Shinji was stepping onto the train, a familiar alarm klaxon went off. One that Shinji knew well because he had heard it the first day he arrived in Tokyo–3 the previous year.

"No… not now…" Kaji said.

"It's an Angel…" Shinji muttered. "So soon after the other one…"

Kaji looked worried, and looked around. He saw something he recognized and grabbed Shinji's hand. "Come on, Shinji…" Kaji said. "Look like you're going to be coming back into the fold sooner than we thought…"

"What are you talking about, Kaji?" Shinji asked. "I'm not allowed…"

"Bullshit… we need to get you back there. You don't just have luck… you have skill… a lot of damn skill… and I don't care what the Commander says, we need you to kill that thing. The girls are good, but you're the key to everything… it'll take a bit of time to explain it." Kaji said. "But I need to tell you something first before I drag you back there. Follow me this way kid… I need to explain some more shit to you…"

–––

On the other side of town, a massive Angel was floating into Tokyo–3. He was roughly the size of an Evangelion, and had wide bone shoulders that defined the shoulder blades, with what looked like grey towels hanging where the arms should be. On his back were two protrusions that matched the bone shoulders in color. His body was mostly black, with its lower torso, inner legs, and feet being white. Spaced around its main body were four large orange gems, shaped like diamonds. Two were located right under the shoulder blades, and the other two were located on the outer thighs. Centered on his chest was a massive, blood red Core that looked like it was half out of his body which glowed brightly in the sunlight. Just above the Core was his face. An angry looking and harsh face with large, oblong eyes and a mouth that looked like it had fangs. Then the eyes started to glow.

Out of his eyes shot a powerful blast of energy which blew a hole through most of the armor plating protecting the Geofront and NERV HQ from the Angelic threats above.

Zeruel had arrived.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 71.3% (-13.9%)  
Asuka – 69.4% (-10.7%)  
Mari – 67.1% (-9.8%)  
Rei – 65.4% (-8.4%)  
Toji – 32.8% (+9.9%)

So, there was the chapter everyone, and it ends right where it needs to. Zeruel crashes in and starts to mess shit up as Shinji is being escorted out of town.

As for Bardiel being a creepy fuck… well, basically every Angel the kids will have contact with will be slightly more sadistic and horrible to deal with. So each Angel will be slightly more horrible than you'll remember.

As for the override by Yui… remember way back against Sachiel, she offered him help any time he needed it. And when his friend was in danger, Shinji asked for help, and his wish was granted, with Yui overriding the Dummy System and going berserk to stop Bardiel and save Toji. Also, the assist from Mari was kinda helpful.

As for Shinji attacking his father in a fit of rage, well, it was bound to happen eventually. That and his guilt over injuring his friend is casing Shinji some deep issues. So, when he's told to leave by his father, he doesn't argue, as he has failed with what he promised to do, protect his friends at all costs. This hurts everyone around him, and Shinji retreats into himself once more, and becomes more like who he was before he arrived in Tokyo–3.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	8. Lethal Weapon; Zeruel Triumphs

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 8 – Lethal Weapon; Zeruel Triumphs  
July 31, 2016 – Tokyo–3 South Metro Station

Kaji was pulling Shinji along a long corridor underneath the station. Shinji kept tugging for Kaji to let him go, but Kaji refused.

"Kaji, let me go!" Shinji shouted.

"No, I'm not letting your father put anyone in any more danger." Kaji said. "He was being an idiot when he kicked you out of here… and I'm not letting his shit continue."

"Kaji, just tell me where we're going!" Shinji said.

"I'm looking for something…" Kaji said. "Ah! Here we are."

"What, a shelter?" Shinji said.

"Yeah, not just a shelter… a NERV shelter, for NERV staff only." Kaji said. "We'll be safe in here while the Angel goes on its rampage, these things are built to withstand a lot."

"Fine…" Shinji said.

–––

At the apartment, while the girls all sat sullenly in the living room, they heard the Angel alarm go off and they all sat bolt upright.

"Oh… you gotta be shitting me!" Asuka shouted. "It's like they know when shit happens here! This is what, the fourteenth?!"

"Yeah… its number fourteen…" Misato said. "Get in the car everyone, we need to move, now!"

"I can't…" Mari said. "I can't go if Shinji's not here…"

"Mari, this isn't the time for your fear of driving." Misato said. "The Angel takes prescience, got it?"

"I said no." Mari said. "Without Shinji, we're fucked. We'll be slaughtered without the puppy there to pull that luck out of his ass."

"Yeah, she's right." Asuka said. "He's the one that kills the Angels, we just sit back and watch him work… hell, his berserk Evangelion has more kills than I do."

"Regardless of how inadequate we may be without Shinji… we cannot let him down…" Rei said sternly. "We must protect the city in his absence. If I have to, I will go alone."

"Wundergirl…" Asuka said. "Where did this come from?"

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"I think she means the steadfast determination, blueberry." Mari said.

"I have always had it." Rei said. "I just do not like to be so forceful… it does not make you seem like a nice person to others." Rei stared at both of them. "So, must I go alone, or will you assist me? I would feel a lot better if you two were there."

"Yeah… let's go…" Asuka said.

"But…" Mari said. "Can I just jog there?"

"Mari!" Misato shouted. "Get over it!"

"I can't!" Mari shouted. "I just can't, Shinji made that fear go away, but he's gone… and so is my safety blanket! If Shinji were here, he would understand!"

"Mari… I will hold your hand." Rei said softly. "Perhaps I can help make that fear go away. Would that help?"

"Yeah… it might." Mari said.

"Fine, good." Misato said gruffly as she grabbed her keys. "Get your shit and let's go, we don't have a lot of time… we need to move!"

–––

Central Dogma was a flurry of activity. Gendo was sitting on a darkened upper platform to hide his injuries he received from Shinji. He was overlooking the scene waiting for Misato to arrive.

"Status report." Gendo said.

"We have confirmation of the Pattern Blue, sir." Hyuga said. "It's an Angel, Commander, we've confirmed the Fourteenth Angel."

"Where is it heading?" Gendo asked.

"MAGI predicts it is heading for NERV HQ, Commander." Aoba replied. "And considering the power of its attacks, it should be able to get itself down here pretty quickly."

"Level–1 battle stations." Fuyutsuki said. "Deploy AIS, and ready for incursion."

"Aye, Sub–Commander!" Aoba replied. "JSSDF has also launched intercept squadrons as well… and Archangel is in the air and ready to strike."

"I doubt they will do much good…" Fuyutsuki said. "Perhaps they could distract it."

"The Angel will swat them away like pesky flies. They always do." Gendo said. "Are the Evangelions ready to launch?"

"Yes, sir." Maya said. "We're just waiting on the pilots."

"Where are the pilots, and where is Colonel Katsuragi?" Gendo asked.

"I'm here sir, and I brought the three pilots with me…" Misato aid as she glared at him.

"Three?" Maya asked.

"Yes, as of this morning, the Third child has been dismissed for various charges against NERV. Also, as of this morning… Rei is assigned to Unit–01, have her report there when she is ready." Gendo ordered.

"Yes… sir." Maya said.

"So, the Angel is coming down here then?" Misato asked.

"Yes, ma'am!" Hyuga said.

"Then we don't have time for a surface interception…" Misato said. "Alright, deploy a huge load of weapons crates for Unit–01 and Unit–02, and extra ammo pods for Unit–XP to the most likely intercept point, and deploy the Evangelions directly to the Geofront. We'll just have to stop it in our own back yard."

"Yes, ma'am!" Hyuga said.

"Got it ma'am!" Maya said.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Ritsuko whispered.

"Not that it's any of your concern, but no." Misato said. "I'm used to having four EVAs… three might make this difficult."

The room shook as a blast from overhead hit the city suspended above them. The lights flickered on and off and dust rained down from the ceiling.

"That just shot through 18 armor plates in one shot!" Hyuga said. "One more hit like that, and we're completely exposed!"

"Alright, hurry the pilots up, we need to deploy now!" Misato ordered.

"The Cage reports all three pilots are loading onto their respective EVAs now…" Maya said. "Unit–02, and Unit–XP are online… Unit–01 is not responding to the pilot."

"What?!" Gendo shouted. "What do you mean?!"

"The Entry Plug will not lock into place." Maya said. "It's refusing… the pilot…"

"Impossible…" Ritsuko said. "That's just not… possible."

"Regardless of how possible it is, it's happening." Gendo said. "I will take care of this myself. Colonel, you have control of the operation."

"Yes, sir." Misato replied. "Alright, move Unit–02 and Unit–XP into position for launch."

–––

Asuka was sitting inside her Entry Plug. She was quite worried about everything that was happening. She was on a launch platform next to a battle scarred, but functional Unit–XP, and Mari's smirking face came onto her screen. Her eyes were covered by the ridiculous helmet she had to wear for her EVA, and all Asuka could see was her mouth.

"What do you want four eyes?" Asuka asked.

" _Are you worried?_ " Mari asked.

"Oh, about Shinji not being here, or the inability for Rei to sync with Unit–01, leaving us _two_ pilots down?" Asuka asked sarcastically. "Or maybe that the Angel seems really, really fucking strong?"

" _Yeah, all that._ " Mari said. " _I'm sure the blueberry will meet us up there. She seemed pretty determined to kick this thing's ass._ "

"Yeah…" Asuka said. "Well, are good to go? Your EVA looks like shit."

" _Thanks princess…_ " Mari said. " _Yeah, legs are little iffy, but it'll do… after all, I have my big ass gun. Apparently they have some new bullets for it._ "

"New bullets?" Asuka asked. "You mean more powerful than exploding bullets?"

" _Yes, precisely, Asuka._ " Maya said. " _They are thermobaric shells, huge fiery explosions mixed with other chemicals to increase its exploding potential. She has 100,000 rounds of that waiting for her._ "

"What guns do I get?" Asuka asked.

" _You have an assortment of Pallet Rifles, Gatling Guns, bazookas, and ammo up there waiting for you, Asuka._ " Maya said.

"Awesome." Asuka said. "Where are we launching in the city?"

" _You're not going to Tokyo–3, Asuka_." Misato said. " _You're being deployed directly to the Geofront. Are you ready to launch, Asuka, Mari?_ "

"Wait… the Geofront?!" Asuka shouted. "It's already broken in?!"

" _Yes, it's about to blast through the last of our defenses…_ " Misato said worriedly. " _So, are you two ready or not?_ "

" _Yeah, let's go kick this fucker's Angelic ass!_ " Mari said.

"I'm ready to go kill an Angel." Asuka said. "Hey, Mari, let's turn things up to 11!"

" _Right on, princess!_ " Mari shouted exuberantly. " _This thing won't know what's coming!_ "

" _Alright then… Evangelion Unit–02, Unit–XP… LAUNCH!_ " Misato ordered.

Unit–02 and Unit–XP shot upwards and emerged in the Geofront moments later. They deployed near a large stack of crates, several of which were labeled "AMMO" and others which only bore silhouettes of the weapons contained within.

"How many guns did you give us?" Asuka asked.

" _All the guns._ " Misato said. " _Every last fucking one we had ready to go._ "

"Ok…" Asuka said. "So, where is this thing?"

" _Ma'am, it's firing again!_ " Hyuga shouted.

Unit–02 and Unit–XP looked up as a massive explosion blew through the ceiling of the Geofront, taking several of the hanging buildings with it. As the building crashed to the ground, Zeruel descended slowly through the hole towards the Geofront's floor. Asuka stared up at the thing with awe and a hint of fear in her eyes.

"What the fuck is that thing…" Asuka muttered. "It makes everything we've fought so far seem so…"

" _Weak…_ " Mari finished. " _Uh… Misato, we need Rei up here… like now._ "

" _The Commander is working on it._ " Misato said. " _Just be patient and get ready to attack._ "

"Yeah, be patient while that thing comes towards us…" Asuka said. "Misato, this isn't the time to be cute… we really could use the extra help. I don't think two EVAs will be enough to defeat this guy…"

" _It doesn't matter right now._ " Misato said. " _Your orders are to engage in ranged combat with the Fourteenth Angel, and only if all else fails do you move in for close quarters combat, is that understood?_ "

" _Yeah… yeah that's fine._ " Mari said.

"Copy…" Asuka replied.

" _Then load up and prepare for the attack._ " Misato ordered.

Both Evangelions began to open the various weapons crates and took a defensive position while they prepared themselves for battle.

" _Holy shit… that thing is scary…_ " Mari muttered as Unit–XP equipped its Gatling gun and aimed for the Geofront's ceiling.

"No kidding…" Asuka said as Unit–02 picked up a pair of Pallet Rifles and aimed them at the descending Angel.

" _On my order…_ " Misato said. " _FIRE EVERYTHING!_ "

–––

Shinji was looking around the shelter Kaji had dragged him to. It appeared to only be for a few people, yet it had enough supplies to feed at least a few hundred people for several months. Shinji was amazed and angered by how much had been stored away here.

"You know, civilians could really use more shelters like this." Shinji said.

"Yeah, well, you know NERV…" Kaji said. "They like protecting themselves first, and civilians second. You know that firsthand from your fight with the Third Angel."

"Yeah… point taken." Shinji said. "But why did you drag me here? Shouldn't we get back to NERV HQ so I can help?! Isn't that why you dragged me down here?!"

"Partly." Kaji replied. "These executive shelters are well paced so that they have direct access to the Geofront. But there is another reason I brought you here."

"Ok, so what was the other reason you brought me down here." Shinji asked.

"To tell you the reason I spy on NERV." Kaji said. "You need to know why, then things will make more sense."

"Sure, but how is that even relevant?" Shinji asked.

"It is, now all I ask is that you don't interrupt me while I explain all this, ok?" Kaji said. "It's a little rough for me to think about."

"Alright… so the Second Impact, was the beginning of everything. The aftermath was pure hell. It'll be hard, but try to imagine it. Major coastal cities and entire areas of the world were flooded, war, disease, famine, and even death ravaged the planet, and everything was in chaos. For a year, the four horseman rode across the planet until over three billion people had died. My mom and dad were two of them, but thankfully my brother lived." Kaji explained. "Orphaned kids like us were everywhere back then. Our home had been wiped out by the tidal wave and rising waters, so the government did the only thing it could think to do, they dumped us all into mass shelters."

"What happened?" Shinji asked.

"Well, firstly, it didn't solve a damn thing. There were hundreds of thousands of us, so the facilities were soon bursting at the seams." Kaji explained. "There wasn't enough food or clothes to go around, we punched and kicked each other to over who got to sleep in the beds, and who just got to use the floor. There weren't even enough adults to keep a proper eye on us, so they tried to make up for the lack of supervision with overly harsh rules."

"So… I'm guessing this doesn't end well." Shinji said.

"Yeah…" Kaji said. "We could only take so much shit, so we decided to escape. Came up with a plan to get me, my brother, and five of our friends out of that hell hole. Once we got out, we did what we had to. We foraged, looted, and scavenged for any food or supplies we could find. We found a small town we stayed at for a while, but then the military started moving in. So we headed for the coast. We found a nice warehouse to camp at, found some furniture in half destroyed houses, and set up a nice place to live. After a while we found a military supply base not far from where we were, security was a joke after Second Impact, so we started to raid it. Only one of us went in at a time, and we only took what we needed. One night, it was my turn to go in."

"What happened?" Shinji asked.

**Flashback**

**As Kaji was loading up his bag he heard a voice. "Hey! Who's there! Show yourself!" It was a guard, shining a light in the direction of Kaji. Kaji stayed very still, so as to not attract any attention. "We know you're there! Come on out, or else!" The few cans Kaji had left in his hands clattered to the floor. The guard walked over to the noise and shined the light on Kaji. When they came closer it was revealed that five men were standing there looking over him. The guard that had been shouted moved forward and swiftly kneed Kaji in the gut. Kaji was on the ground, gasping for air.**

**The guards watched in amusement as Kaji was on the ground "Well, well, well. This worthless little punk thought he could get the five finger discount on our shit, like you have been for a while, you little punk." The guard that had hit Kaji pulled him up by his hair. "Where are your friends you little fuck?" He spat. "Rats got nests right? Where are they hiding?!" He shook Kaji by the hair. "We got proper places for little shits like you. You're going back where you belong, got it?"**

**"Wh… What're you sayin'? I'm alone, it's just me." Kaji realized he needed to protect his friends. "I don't got any friends…"**

**The guard punched Kaji hard with a right hook to the face. "DON'T YOU FUCKING LIE TO ME YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" He yelled. "We know you…" He punched him again. "Hang out in a…" He slammed Kaji into the wall. "PACK!" The guard kept hitting him as he continued to speak. "You wanna tell me where they are yet, dipshit? You think this is as bad as it can get?!" He threw Kaji at the floor.**

**Kaji, who had a little fight left in him had a coy response for the bastard beating him up "Go ahead… make my day."**

**"Well, well, this kid's got balls, a regular, fucking Harry Callahan." The guard quipped as he pushed his foot into Kaji's back. "I guess he's not so much of a punk after all." He moved his foot to the back of Kaji's head and pressed down "Well, if violence isn't going to work, why don't I appeal to your intellect instead, alright?" He pulled his sidearm from its holster. "Regulations state that deadly force is authorized." He released the safety. "Towards trespassers at military facilities." He cocked the gun. "You know what that means?" Kaji turned his head to see the gun being pointed at him. "It means that no one will give a fuck if we kill you right here, right now." The guard lifted Kaji off the ground by his shirt with one hand and pushed the gun against Kaji's cheek with the other. "Kid, this is your last chance. Tells where the others are hiding, and I'll spare you're your worthless little life." The sadistic guard decided he wanted to push Kaji just a little bit harder and looked him straight in the eye. "And just so you know, the manual for this gun says the trigger pull is about two and half kilos. So, I have one last question for you. Do you feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?"**

**Kaji was afraid 'What should I do… I don't want to die, but I shouldn't give up my friends for my life.' Kaji thought, his face was bloodied and bruised from his beating.**

**"One…"**

**Kaji couldn't think, he was so scared. 'I can't protect my brother if I'm dead. If I die, he'll have no one else to help him, he'll have no family left.'**

**"Two…"**

**End Flashback**

"And you know what, Shinji, I found out I was afraid of death." Kaji said.

"So… did you tell them?" Shinji asked as Kaji nodded silently. "Then… what happened?"

**Flashback**

**Kaji needed to make a choice. 'I don't want to die… … … … … I don't want to die… … … …I don't want to die… … … I don't want to die… … I don't want to die… I don't want to die. I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!' Kaji spoke, and as he did, he also started to cry. "Down at the abandoned building… near the highway."**

**"Okay." The guard said, and he turned the safety for his gun back on. "Good boy." He turned to the other men. "Let's go guys. You…" He pointed to one of them. "Stay here and watch him, until we confirm his friends are where he says they are."**

**"Yes, sir!" The other guard said, as the rest of the guards left, leaving Kaji to sit and cry quietly while this other guy berated and teased him. "I guess we're going to play house together, huh kid?" The guard turned away as he chuckled at Kaji's misfortune.**

**'What did I do? I put everyone in danger just to save myself.' Kaji thought, as he sat there and endured the pain. 'I have to get away and warn them, before that sadistic guard gets to them. I have to get to Taichi.' Kaji saw that near his hand there was a can of juice he'd dropped. 'If I throw this hard enough at the back of his head I should be able to knock him out cold, or at least distract him long enough to get away.' Kaji picked up the can quietly and hurled it at the base of the guard's head. It made contact, and made him stumble. Kaji grabbed the backpack next to him and ran off.**

**The guard regained his composure and fired his rifle in the direction Kaji had run of in "Come back here you little fuck!"**

**Kaji ran and ran, not looking back until he was off the base. He got under the fence, and hightailed it back to the abandoned warehouse. By the time he got back, he saw a military truck burning rubber. 'Oh no…' Kaji thought as he ran to the door. Kaji saw that the door had been blasted off its hinges. And inside, the sight was too much for Kaji to take. All Kaji could make out were six lifeless lumps covered in blood, and riddled with bullet holes.**

**Kaji saw his brother was on the couch, his chest was full of holes, and his lifeless eyes were staring at Kaji. "I didn't mean to!" Kaji yelled at his brother's dead stare. "I didn't think that they would kill you!" He walked over to his brother's body and shook it. "I didn't want to die, I didn't think I had any other choice!" Kaji started to cry. "I'm sorry, Taichi… I just didn't want to die…"**

**"What have I done?! I traded my life for all of theirs! They didn't deserve this! I did!" Kaji screamed at the ceiling. "I killed them! I'm a murder! I deserve to die!"**

**"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Kaji screamed while holding Taichi's lifeless body.**

**End Flashback**

Shinji stared at Kaji in shock.

Kaji looked back at him sadly. "I lived to tell this story by taking the lives of friends… and that of my brother." Kaji explained. "After that day… I tried to kill myself… I couldn't go through with it because I was afraid to die. I wanted… I wanted to atone for my sins… and the only way I knew how to do that was to find out who had really caused Second Impact. To bring them to justice, at my hands… that thought, that goal gave me the power to live on… to bring myself back up from rock bottom."

"So, what happened after that?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I found some extended family of mine to take me, and they got me back into school." Kaji continued. "It was around the time I got into college that the U.N. released its report on the cause of Second Impact, which as such a blatant lie… it just added to my resolve. So, when I got to college, I set out planning to find a way into the organizations I figured were responsible… Gehirn and SEELE."

"What's Gehirn?" Shinji asked.

"It's what turned into NERV some time ago." Kaji said. "I still don't know why… but the name changed for some reason or another… I'll find that out eventually. Anyway… in school, I fell in love with Misato… we were madly in love then too… but then at some point I realized I didn't deserve to be happy. I had killed my brother… and I didn't deserve Misato… that's why I can't admit to her that I love her… I'm not able to with the guilt I carry. I don't deserve to be happy, Shinji, but you do. You saved your friend from dying, he's going to be fine… he'll need some time to recover, but what's important is he's ok… I can't fix my mistakes… but you can… you can get back in Unit–01 and go out there and fight the Angel… and help protect your friends."

"I… I can?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, you can." Kaji said. "We still have time… I can get you back into HQ, and get you right to your EVA. Do you feel up for it? Can you trust yourself to fight again?"

"I… I think so…" Shinji said. "But… what if they get hurt again?"

"Shinji, as long as you try your best during the fight, it doesn't matter." Kaji said. "Plus, considering all the shaking we're feeling, I'll bet they'd appreciate the help."

"Yeah… I'll go…" Shinji said. "I want to save my friends… I want to kill the Angel."

"Just remember what I told you before, Shinji." Kaji said sternly. "The Angels cannot make contact with Lilith, otherwise we're looking at Third Impact… and I doubt that humanity could survive it."

Shinji nodded his head. "Right."

"But there's something else you need to know, Shinji…" Kaji said. "The EVAs are made from the First and Second Angels. They have the power to become stronger than anything we've known before… the power to become gods if they wished to."

"So… is that bad?" Shinji asked.

"Yes and no…" Kaji said. "It just means that the Evangelions are the only things on this Earth that can defeat the Angels once and for all."

"Alright…" Shinji said. "But what else is there to do?"

"Nothing but get you to the Cage." Kaji said. "I think we've killed enough time talking, let's book it."  
–––

Unit–02 and Unit–XP were sending a thick blanket of fire right at Zeruel after having been given the order to commence the attack. Unit–01 was using twin Pallet Rifles, and Unit–XP had its massive Gatling gun. The weapons were aimed right at Zeruel's Core, but even the new rounds Mari was using weren't having much effect other than to show off a very powerful A.T. Field.

" _It's not fucking working!_ " Mari shouted. " _We're not going to be able to do this!_ "

"We have to keep trying though!" Asuka shouted. "We don't have a choice!"

" _Fine, any suggestions?_ " Mari asked.

"Yeah, focus our fire on a singular point, and hope for the best." Asuka said. "A.T. Field to maximum!"

" _Yeah, let's kill its field!_ " Mari shouted.

Unit–02 and Unit–XP extended their A.T. Fields to their limit. The air around them turned red and the ground shook. The shockwaves got the attention of Zeruel and it started to move towards them. The stream of bullets focused onto a meter wide point on Zeruel's A.T. Field and started to chip away at it. Zeruel fired a blast towards both EVAs.

As the blast cleared, there was a crater around the EVAs, but the ground they had been standing on was still intact, having been protected by their collective A.T. Fields.

"How powerful is that thing?!" Asuka shouted.

" _I don't know… but I'm going to fucking kill it!_ " Mari shouted.

Unit–XP's Gatling gun ran out of ammo, it was tossed aside. Unit–XP then activated its rockets and launched itself at Zeruel. Unit–02 continued to fire weapons at. Unit–XP's shoulder pylons opened up and the spikes inside of them armed. As Unit–XP got close to Zeruel, it pulled its spear back and lunged forward, with the spear impacting Zeruel's A.T. Field. The spear started to push through the field, and Unit–XP fired all of its shoulder spikes, but before any of it could make contact, Zeruel fired a blast from his eyes right at Unit–XP's chest, melting the armor and causing Mari to scream out in pain. The blast sent the EVA flying backwards into the ground, where it impacted and created a massive crater. Unit–XP dragged itself up and glared at Zeruel.

" _MOTHERFUCKER!_ " Mari screamed. " _THAT WASN'T VERY NICE!_ "

"You ok, four eyes?" Asuka asked.

" _Yeah… but I'm fucking pissed!_ " Mari shouted. " _Now my tits hurt, and I don't like being thrown into the fucking ground!_ "

"Fine… this time we attack together!" Asuka said.

" _How exactly?_ " Mari asked.

"Just follow my lead, four eyes!" Asuka shouted.

Zeruel landed in front of the two Evangelions. They stood there silently for a moment, and then Unit–02 moved forward. It grabbed a Prog Axe from an open weapon's crate, and charged Zeruel. The axe came up and Unit–02 swung it at Zeruel's A.T. Field, impacting it and causing it to crackle under the strain. Unit–XP followed Unit–02's lead and charged Zeruel with its spear, Unit–02 side stepped the charging Unit–XP while keeping the Prog Axe in place. Unit–XP's spear hit the exact same point as the Prog Axe, and with their combined efforts, they pierced the A.T. Field. Zeruel glared at them as his A.T. Field exposed outwards in a fury, sending both Evangelions flying away from him.

"I think we're in trouble." Asuka said.

" _Yeah, I know their faces don't move…_ " Mari said. " _But it looks pissed._ "

"Yeah…" Asuka said. "I'm afraid…"

Zeruel charged a blast and sent it at Unit–XP, taking off its left arm, and sending the EVA careening into the lake. Zeruel then turned to Unit–02 and stared it down.

"Oh shit…" Asuka muttered.

Zeruel unfolded its arms form the paper towel like things hanging from its shoulders. They shot forward towards Unit–02, but they were intercepted by a damaged Unit–XP, which took the heavy hit. Unit–XP's arms were removed on one swipe, and then Zeruel brought his arms around again and took off Unit–XP's legs, crippling the Evangelion

" _AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ " Mari screamed. " _Sorry, princess… I can't let you get hurt because I got knocked on my ass…_ "

"Thanks… I'll try to pay you back." Asuka said. "You stupid idiot…"

" _Cut Mari's nerve connections, now!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Done!_ " Maya replied.

Unit–02 picked up two positron rifles as Zeruel aimed another blast at the main body of Unit–XP, which severely damaged the remaining armor and made the torso to bleed. Asuka looked on in horror and aimed the rifles at Zeruel.

"Eat this you fucking bastard!" Asuka shouted as she opened fire, impacting Zeruel's body with several shot, but not doing all that much damage, other than leaving slight red marks where the blasts hit. The weapons rapidly ran out of ammo, and as they did, Zeruel swept his arms forward and cut off Unit–02's arms at the shoulder joints, which sprayed blood everywhere.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Asuka screamed. "I'm not going down that easy you fucker! I don't need my fucking arms to beat you… just my fucking head! I'll show you not to mess with the likes of Asuka Langley Soryu!"

Unit–02 crouched down and aimed its head at Zeruel's Core. Unit–02 charged the target with reckless abandon, hoping to inflict the fatal blow.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Asuka roared as she ran at Zeruel with all her might.

" _Maya, cut all her nerve connections, now!_ " Misato ordered. " _Before it's too late!_ "

" _I'm working on it…_ " Maya said.

As Unit–02 got close to Zeruel, he moved his arms again, this time, aiming right at the neck of Unit–02. As it approached, Zeruel struck, taking the head clean off. The head clattered on the ground and Unit–02 collapsed to its knees in front of the Angel.

"My… my head…" Asuka muttered as she felt her neck. "It's still attached… I'm… I'm still alive…"

" _She's alive ma'am, the connections were severed just in time!_ " Hyuga said.

" _Good, send out recovery teams for Asuka and Mari immediately._ " Misato said.

'Yeah… whatever…' Asuka thought. 'Shinji… I hate having to say this, but we need you right now… where are you? I need… I need your help…'

Asuka then felt her Evangelion get blasted off the ground by another blast from Zeruel, and when she landed, she lost consciousness from the impact, and the fact she wasn't restrained like she should have been.

–––

Shinji watched in horror as Unit–02's head was cut off. He had seen Mari intercept the first attack from Zeruel, and her brutal takedown, but Asuka's was even harder for him to watch.

"ASUKA, NOOOO!" Shinji screamed as Unit–02 was blasted out of Zeruel's way.

"Shinji, give me your stuff." Kaji said. "There's a door about 200 meters that way, it will give you direct access to the Cage. Go… quickly."

"Will they be ok?" Shinji asked as he handed Kaji his bag.

"Yeah, I'll go help the recovery teams and tell them the good news." Kaji said. "Well, what are you waiting for, Shinji? Get moving!"

Shinji stared at him. "Right… sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Shinji, run!" Kaji said sternly.

"Take care of them, Kaji!" Shinji shouted as he ran for the door. "Don't let them be dead… don't let them be dead…" Shinji said to himself as he ran.

Shinji got to the hatch and pried it open. When he got inside to the main corridor, he knew where he was. "It's not far from here…" Shinji muttered. "I just need to get there quickly."

–––

Misato was pissed. She slammed her hands on the console between Hyuga and Maya.

"We're getting slaughtered out there" Misato asked angrily. "Is Unit–01 ready to launch yet?!"

"No, ma'am." Hyuga replied. "It keeps burning out the Dummy Plugs that are being inserted. There are only two left to try."

"What about Rei?" Misato asked.

"Unit–01 refused to sync with her." Ritsuko said.

"But why?" Maya asked. "She's done it before."

"Something happened with Shinji and Unit–01 during that last fight." Ritsuko explained. "I believe that Unit–01 will only accept Shinji as pilot."

"So, what now?" Aoba asked.

"I don't know…" Misato said. "Unit–00 isn't combat capable is it?"

"No, the left arm is still under repair." Ritsuko said. "At best it could distract the Angel from us until we figure out what to do with Unit–01."

"Then why is Unit–00 launching?" Hyuga asked as an alert came up on screen.

"WHAT!?" Misato shouted.

"Who's the pilot?!" Ritsuko asked.

"Confirming synchrograph…" Maya said. "It's Rei."

"Son of a bitch!" Misato shouted "Get me in contact with her, now!"

–––

Rei was inside her Entry Plug awaiting her arrival on the surface when Misato's face came up in the video feed.

" _Rei, just what the hell do you think you're doing?!_ " Misato shouted. " _Return to base immediately!_ "

"I am doing what needs to be done." Rei said. "I am replaceable."

" _Rei, you don't even have a rifle!_ " Misato shouted. " _What are you going to do?!_ "

"I will do what the military was unable to accomplish." Rei replied.

" _Colonel, two N2 warheads are missing from storage._ " Aoba reported. " _Their detonators were taken as well._ "

" _They're armed?!_ " Ritsuko asked.

" _Yes, ma'am._ " Aoba replied. " _Armed and dangerous…_ "

" _Rei, tell me you don't have those!_ " Misato begged.

"I cannot do that, Colonel." Rei said. "I would never lie to you."

Unit–00 arrived on the surface. Under each of its arms was an N2 warhead, armed and ready to use. Unit–00's left arm was still heavily damaged, and had no armor on it whatsoever, but it was capable of picking things up and moving them with the damaged arm. The other damage, including that to the head sustained in the attack from Bardiel had already been repaired, but arms were a tricky business to fix.

Unit–00 stood up and faced Zeruel. Zeruel turned curiously towards the new opponent and eyed it suspiciously, not viewing it as an active threat.

" _Rei, return to base at once!_ " Ritsuko shouted. " _I'd expect this kind of behavior from any of the other, but not form you!_ "

"Then you do not know me very well, Dr. Akagi." Rei said as she cut the video feed. "Only my brother and my two best friends know me. I refuse to let them down." Rei glanced at the fallen Unit–02 and Unit–XP and her eyes narrowed. "You should not have made me mad… you will pay with your life… A.T. Field at maximum!"

Unit–00 charged Zeruel with all its might. As it approached it lifted both warheads, one in each hand, level with Zeruel's half exposed Core. Unit–00 plunged at Zeruel's powerful A.T. Field and struggled to push through it, and with some effort, was able to punch though. However, just as the warheads were about to make fatal contact with the Core, a covering closed the Core off, and protected it, leaving Rei in shock.

"Extending A.T. Field to contain the blast…" Rei muttered as she saw the covered Core and the N2 warheads blinked to life. "Shinji… where you are… it is all up to you now…"

The blasts went off simultaneously, causing a massive mushroom cloud to develop inside the Geofront. Unit–00's A.T. Field contained the fireball and shockwave however, with the already damaged Evangelion taking the brunt of the explosion single handedly.

As the blast cleared, anyone could tell that the melted and warped armor of Unit–00 meant it didn't stand a chance to be able to fight anymore.

–––

Kaji looked on from behind Unit–02 as he held an unconscious Asuka in his arms. He had shielded Asuka form the blast caused by Unit–00, but the blast had been contained by the A.T. Fields of both combatants.

Unit–00 stood up for a moment before Zeruel struck and bisected Unit–00's head from the top, right down the middle. Unit–00, severely damaged from the blast, fell to the ground and deactivated, and Zeruel took his shot, and fired a blast at the disabled Evangelion, removing the threat. Unit–00 landed not far from where Kaji, Asuka, and Unit–02 were, and was still smoking as Kaji opened his eyes.

"Well… that was unexpected, but it was effective, Rei." Kaji said proudly. "Nice work, kid…" Kaji looked at the smoking Evangelion. "I just hope you survived that little assault mission of yours. Maybe you just bought Shinji enough time to make to Unit–01… or at least I hope you did anyway."

Kaji looked down at Asuka and saw a trickle of blood run down her face. "You did good too, Asuka." Kaji said. "You lasted pretty long against such a powerful enemy… all three of you did wonderfully… but none of you are in sync with your EVA like Shinji is… I hate to say it, but he's our last hope of killing this thing… cause if he doesn't, it's the final curtain call for humanity."

Zeruel turned towards the remnants of the pyramid and fired a massive blast at it, which exposed the sub–subterranean inside of NERV HQ.

"Well… that looks like the main shaft for HQ… open and exposed for all to see… looks like that Angel is headed to its final destination. Nothing stands between it and Lilith now…" Kaji said. "Come on Shinji… where are you?"

–––

Gendo stared at Unit–01 as the last remaining Dummy Plug was burned out and rejected by an obstinate Unit–01. Gendo was alone in his control room, and in a fit of rage, he slammed his fist into the console.

"Why… why is she rejecting the Dummy Plugs? She's rendered them all useless!" Gendo shouted. "Why is she rejecting Rei… why is she rejecting _me_?!" Gendo looked out at the back of Unit–01's head. "Yui, what do you want from me?"

The screens around Geno flickered and were replaced with the image of Shinji… the image that Unit–01 saw the day he was brought in the previous year and asked to be a pilot.

"This…" Gendo said. "This is who you want?" Gendo turned and looked out at Unit and saw a familiar figure on the catwalk. "Shinji…"

On the catwalk, Shinji was panting after having run the entire way there. Shinji looked around and saw only his Evangelion was in the Cage, realizing that Rei had already been deployed, he looked straight at Unit–01

"Unit–01, I'm here, and I need your help! My friends are in danger! I want to help them!" Shinji shouted. "Let me pilot! I need to pilot! I have to pilot!"

Unit–01's eyes glowed and it broke its restraints with ease and removed the final Dummy Plug from its back. The technicians in the Cage were scared and ran away from the EVA as it grabbed the proper Entry Plug and roughly inserted it into its back. Unit–01 then moved its hand towards Shinji to give him a quick route to the Entry Plug.

"Thank you…" Shinji said.

Shinji ran up Unit–01's arm and went right into the Entry Plug. Shinji saw his father staring blankly at him from the window of the command room.

"I don't care what you want father!" Shinji shouted. "I'm not abandoning my friends just because you told me to go away!"

" _Warning! Evacuate the base, repeat evacuate the base!_ " Hyuga said over the intercom in a panic. " _The Angel has invaded the base and has infiltrated the main shaft and is heading for Central Dogma! All personnel are ordered to evacuate at once!_ "

"Father, which way is the Command Center!" Shinji shouted.

Gendo simply pointed to Unit–01's left and Shinji nodded. The Entry Plug closed itself and inserted into Unit–01, and Shinji manually synced himself with the EVA. He sat there, glaring out through his view screens and looked towards the wall he was going to break through.

"Unit–01 is online and ready for combat… power cable disconnected… Unit–01, launching!" Shinji shouted. "Hold on Misato… I'll protect you, I'll protect everyone…"

–––

Misato was staring at the main screen of Central Dogma, and saw that the signal for Zeruel was getting very close.

"Alright, you all heard the order!" Misato shouted. "Get the hell out of here, now! The Angel will be here any second!"

Just Misato finished talking, Zeruel crashed through the wall on the far end of Central Dogma, and stared down towards everyone still remaining. Misato grabbed the cross around her neck and grimaced at the Angel, while Maya clutched Misato's arm out of fear and Ritsuko slowly backed away. Hyuga and Aoba glared at the Angel, and Fuyutsuki stared indifferently towards the Angel.

As a glint in Zeruel's eyes showed he was reading for an attack, Misato shut her eyes as Maya quivered next to her, but then she heard another crash, a large fist slamming through the right hand wall of Central Dogma, followed by the massive body of Unit–01, who landed a hard left hook to Zeruel's face.

"Unit–01?" Misato said confusedly. "Shinji…"

Zeruel was on the ground where the holographic display used to be. Unit–01 stood crouched over it and it glanced at Misato.

"Shinji!" Misato said. "Open comms!"

"Right!" Hyuga said as he tapped his console and opened a channel to Unit–01.

"Shinji, are you ok?!" Misato asked.

" _I'm fine, just make sure to get Asuka and Mari to safety!_ " Shinji shouted. " _And get yourself to safety too!_ " Unit–01 looked at them. " _Move it!_ "

Zeruel stood back up and Unit–01 stared it down. Unit–01 grabbed Zeruel and charged him though the opposite wall, crashing through another Cage, and destroying the support facilities in the room. Unit–01 disappeared from sight and Misato could hear the crashing sounds of the EVA and Angel fighting.

"Come on Shinji…" Misato whispered. "We're all rooting for you…"

"We may be…" Maya said. "But did you notice he didn't have a power cable attached?"

"Oh no…" Misato said. "I hope he can do this in less than five minutes…"

"We're all hoping for that Colonel." Fuyutsuki said. "I'm sure Ikari can handle it."

–––

Unit–01 slammed Zeruel into the ground again, breaking more equipment around them. Gendo ran out onto the catwalk against the wall and watched in horror and shock as the battle raged in front of him.

Shinji stared at the Angel as he continued to beat it with his fists. The Angel looked angry, and a glint appeared in his eyes as Shinji brought Unit–01's left arm in for another punch. Zeruel fired his energy blast, severing the left arm above the elbow and sending it careening into the wall next to Gendo. When the arm impacted the wall, it disintegrated into a pile of blood and bits of flesh, covering a shocked Gendo in blood.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Shinji shouted. "I guess I'll have to kill you with one hand then!"

Unit–01 picked Zeruel up by his face, and threw him towards the launch elevators. Unit–01 slammed Zeruel into the wall and restrained him buy his face.

"Misato!" Shinji shouted. "Launch me!"

" _Hyuga, do it!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Roger!_ " Hyuga replied.

The elevator released and shot upwards, with Zeruel's face being dragged along the sides of shaft during the ascent. As the elevator reached the top, because they were unrestrained, Unit–01 and Zeruel shot into the air. Unit–01 activated its retro rockets and shifted its weight to slam Zeruel into the ground, and when they landed, Unit–01 buried its knees into Zeruel's gut, causing the Angel to cry out in pain.

Shinji looked around him and saw the smoking Unit–00, the decimated Unit–02 and the half submerged and charred Unit–XP laying on the ground around him. Shinji glared down at the Angel in a rage.

"YOU BASTARD!" Shinji roared. "WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP HURTING MY FRIENDS?! CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE?! CAN'T YOU!?"

Unit–01 took its remaining hand and relentlessly and heavily beat Zeruel's face with it. With the force of each impact, blood spirted out form around Zeruel's face mask as the Angel lay helplessly on the ground, unable to defend itself.

"GO BACK TO HELL YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Shinji roared. "JUST FUCKING DIE!"

Unit–01 grabbed the holes in Zeruel's face mask and pulled, trying to tear the mask away from the body. The material stretched out like gum form behind the face mask as Zeruel wriggled helplessly beneath the hulking and angry Unit–01. Just as the face mask was about to tear away from the body, Unit–01's eyes went dark, and it shutdown, as did the Entry Plug, leaving Shinji in utter darkness.

As it shutdown, the bridge crew ran outside, and Maya had her laptop with her, and Misato carried a portable radio so she could try to communicate with Shinji.

Shinji, inside his darkened Entry Plug, tried desperately to get the Evangelion to move before it was too late.

"NO! NO… NO, NOOOO!" Shinji screamed. "YOU CAN'T BE OUT OF POWER YET!" Shinji slammed the control yokes with his hands. "DAMN IT! COME ON, MOVE! WE CAN'T JUST WAIT TO ATTACK, HE HAVE TO KILL THIS THING!"

" _Unit–01 is at its activation limit!_ " Maya shouted unnecessarily.

" _Shinji, get up!_ " Misato shouted. " _The Angel is getting up!_ "

"Yeah, I kinda figured that!" Shinji shouted.

Zeruel realized he had a chance and moved to get Unit–01 off of him and tossed the shutdown EVA aside like a rag doll by blasting it point blank in chest with a powerful blast from his eyes. Unit–01 soared through the air and landed hard against the shattered and melted remains of the pyramid, with a large portion of its chest armor and pectoral flesh missing, leaving Unit–01's Core completely exposed.

" _Shinji!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Our last hope…_ " Aoba whispered. " _He can't do anything…_ "

" _Come on, Shinji…_ " Hyuga said. " _You've done it before… get out of this mess…_ "

" _Oh my god…_ " Misato said. " _Is that…_ "

" _Unit–01's Core…_ " Ritsuko said. " _Shinji, you have to eject!_ "

"NO, I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY AGAIN!" Shinji roared.

Zeruel noticed the exposed Core and lifted up his fragile looking arms and began to repeatedly strike the Core. Each strike left a mark on its surface from the impact and the sparks that occurred. Zeruel looked as though he was enjoying toying with his prey, and continued the assault while Shinji tried even more desperately to get Unit–01 to activate.

"COME ON, MOVE!" Shinji shouted. "I NEED YOUR HELP! IF YOU DON'T MOVE, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! EVERYONE WILL DIE, EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!" Shinji screamed as he punched the control console between his legs. "MISATO… KAJI… MARI… REI… ASUKA… I DON'T WANT THEM TO DIE! I DON'T WANT TO FAIL THEM! I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE ELSE GET HURT BY ANY ANGEL! ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE DIED, JUST HELP ME, PLEASE! HELP ME KILL THIS MONSTER!"

A bright light erupted inside the Entry Plug, and Shinji felt a warm sensation wash over him. Then the Plug was once again plunged into darkness, then his exterior feed came back online, and he could see what was happening once again.

Unit–01's eyes lit up in a blaze of fury. Its right hand reached up and split Zeruel's hand with its fingers, and then grabbed the injured hand tightly. Nit–01 ducked its head down and pulled the arm, tugging Zeruel in and impaled Zeruel's right eye with its massive horn, spraying blood everywhere. Unit–01 then took both its feet and kicked Zeruel with all its might, and sent the Angel flying through the air, without his left arm. Zeruel impacted the ground and created cloud of dust while Unit–01 slowly stood up and glared at the cloud. Unit–01 took the remnants of Zeruel's arm and slammed it into where the remnants of its missing arm was. The flesh around the wound bubbled and turned red, and then out of the mushy goo shot a band new, fleshy arm, without any armor to speak of. The arm itself looked quite human, just Evangelion sized.

–––

On the ground just outside the base, the bridge crew stood and watched in terror and amazement at the events unfolding before them.

"Did it absorb part of the Angel?" Hyuga asked.

"Yeah… and its arm…" Aoba said. "It looks like a human one…"

Maya was staring at her laptop. "Oh my…" Maya said in shock. "I can't believe it…"

"What?" Misato asked.

"Shinji's sync ratio…" Maya said "It's over 400% and stable! And his Plug Depth, its way in the negative!"

"So, she's finally awake…" Ritsuko said quietly.

Unit–01 struggled against its jaw bolts one last time, breaking them off and letting out a mighty cry. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––

Shinji felt the power flowing through his body when Unit–01 let out its mighty roar. Zeruel had stood back up and took the opportunity to attack one more time while Unit–01 was distracted. Zeruel shot his right arm towards Unit–01's Core, but Shinji reacted quickly and blocked it and tore through the hand again, tearing it to shreds.

Shinji looked down and could feel he fleshy material as if he were actually holding it in his own hand. Shinji looked at Zeruel and could feel his hand becoming hot.

"I THINK THIS BELONGS TO YOU!" Shinji roared.

The shreds of Zeruel's arm flew towards the Angel at high speed. Zeruel extended his A.T. Field to block them, but it did nothing. The A.T. Field was split in half and dissipated with the impact, and the shreds of arm cut though the unprotected Angel, leaving him a bloody mess. Zeruel fell to the ground with writhing in pain as Shinji looked on with a sadistic smile on his face. His eyes had begun glowing red and Unit–01 crouched down like an animal and prepared to pounce.

"NOW I'LL FUCKING EVISCERATE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Shinji roared. "YAAAAHHHHH!"

And Unit–01 roared with him. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––

Misato and everyone else watched in shock as Zeruel fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. Unit–01 clawed at the ground on all fours like a wolf.

"Is Unit–01 acting on its own?" Ritsuko asked.

"No… it's uh… it's working under Shinji's orders." Maya said. "His… his… sync rate is highly unstable… he's almost at the bottom of the Entry Plug!"

"No… he'll get contaminated!" Ritsuko shouted.

"Can you override it?!" Misato asked.

"No… I… I can't…" Maya said. "I… I just lost the feed!"

"Shit!" Misato said. "What is he about to do?"

"I don't know… but I think his humanity is gone…" Hyuga said.

"Yeah, the EVA isn't even acting human anymore…" Misato said. "It's like he's an animal…"

Unit–01 charged the downed Zeruel, and pounced on its chest. Unit–01 grabbed Zeruel's Core and tugged on it. It fractured and exposed the soft interior to the outside. Zeruel looked up at Unit–01 and charged its eye beam. However, Unit–01 shoved its fist through the mask, shattering Zeruel's face, and keeping him from firing another shot. Unit–01 then focused back on the Core and the exposed S2 Engine. It glared at it lustfully and bit into the exposed fleshly Core. It tore chunks of the S2 Engine free and swallowed them whole.

Maya threw up all over her laptop and Hyuga patted her back.

"Is it… eating?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… is ingesting the S2 Engine…" Ritsuko said.

"What does that mean?" Misato asked.

"It means Unit–01 is no longer under our control…" Ritsuko said worriedly. "It is its own master now…"

Unit–01 finished eating the S2 Engine, leaving only the thin, hollowed out Core. Blood had poured all over the ground from the hole where Zeruel's face had been. Unit–01 had stood up and it began glowing. The armor all over its body began to strain at the seams. It broke apart and scattered the armor all over the ground.

"What do you mean?!" Misato asked.

"The armor isn't on the Evangelions to keep them safe…" Ritsuko said. "It's to keep us safe. Now… now it can tap its full potential…"

"Didn't you think this kind of information was worth sharing before?!" Misato shouted.

"It wasn't relevant then…" Ritsuko said.

Misato glared at Ritsuko and clenched her fist. "You are the stupidest smart person I've ever fucking met…" Misato spat. "Anything else you're hiding from us that may become relevant later on?"

"No…" Ritsuko said nervously looking at Misato's fist. "It's beyond our control now…"

Unit–01 stood straight up and craned its neck towards the sky. Armor missing from its arms and legs, and from around its head. It let out a mighty cry into the night sky.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

–––

Shinji was inside the Entry Plug, and he was enjoying every moment of it.

"Now… now I'm…" Shinji said in a distorted voice. "I'm one with EVA…"

The Entry Plug around him glowed. The colors blurred and the video feeds cut out. Shinji the heard a whisper.

" _Shinji…_ " The voice said. " _Shinji, come to me…_ "

"Yes… yes… I will be one with EVA…" Shinji said in the distorted voice. "I want to be one with EVA…"

–––

Gendo and Fuyutsuki were standing in the remnants of the pyramid. They were overlooking the battlefield, and Gendo was smirking from ear to ear.

"What has you s happy, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "I thought you wanted to get rid of Shinji for good."

"Well, this is far better than anything I could have hoped." Gendo said. "An Evangelion with unlimited power… anything is possible now… we can finally set my plans in motion. This is where it begins."

"Was this your plan?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No, but it was a hope." Gendo said. "It certainly makes things easier now that we have an Evangelion with an active S2 Engine."

"So… what will you do now?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Anything I want." Gendo said. "Now, I'm unstoppable."

–––

Kaji was standing with the recovery teams near the lake. Asuka and Rei were being tended to, and Mari had just been recovered from her EVA. Mari's plugsuit was covered in flash burns, as were Rei's and Asuka's. They were all still unconscious.

Kaji looked over at the howling Unit–01 and smiled. "Good job Shinji, you saved everyone." Kaji said proudly. "That and you're really fucking over SEELE now… you're really good at destroying people's well laid plans…"

Kaji looked over at the girls being carted away. "He did this for you guys…" Kaji said softly. "He did this to protect you… and I'll tell you that when you wake up too." Kaji looked back to Unit–01. "Shinji… I hope you're ok in there."

* * *

August 1, 2016 – NERV HQ

The sun has just risen over Tokyo–3, which was still under lockdown. The Geofront was a wreck. The pitched battle between all the Evangelions had taken the serene looking Geofront and turned it into a total warzone. Unit–02 lay without its head or arms, a pool of blood and its severed limbs laying around it. Unit–XP's torso was half–submerged in Lake Alcion, its armor melted and deformed, and lake had turned red with blood, its limbs scattered around the Geofront. Unit–00 was headless and bleeding out from the brutal assault it received and the dual N2 detonations it set off. Dozens of craters and impact marks were all around the Geofront, and several buildings were still scattered around from the surface. The remnants of the pyramid Shinji had destroyed were even more twisted, and a hole had been bored though it to a shaft that led directly to Central Dogma.

The battle below the surface of the Geofront had decimated many of the key Evangelion facilities. Several of the Cages had been destroyed, the walls between the Cages and the Commander Center, generally referred to as Central Dogma, had been breached. The Command Center had been ripped apart by the fight. Repair crews could be seen working in and around the Cages and the Command Center, trying to repair the extensive damage caused by the fight.

Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba were standing in the remains of the Commander Center, walking around the rubble and transferring the operational control to the Auxiliary Command Center 10 levels down.

"Maya, how bad is it?" Misato asked. "Can the EVAs be fixed?"

"Well, they can be…" Maya said. "A lot of the damage to them has exceeded the Hayflick Limit… it will take a lot of time to bring them back. Unit–XP is the easiest to repair… but its cybernetic limbs aren't exactly in the best shape…"

"What the hell is the Hayflick Limit?" Misato asked.

"The Hayflick Limit is the number of times a normal human cell population will divide until cell division stops." Ritsuko explained.

"So…" Aoba asked.

"So, that means it'll take a while to repair them… the damage is too extensive for a quick repair job." Maya explained. "That Angel really did a number on this place."

"Yeah, well it was an Angel, Maya." Hyuga said.

"Thanks, Makoto, I didn't realize that." Maya said sarcastically.

"Recovery from this attack will take a lot of time." Ritsuko said sullenly.

"Well, will this place ever be repaired?" Aoba asked.

"Yeah, I heard the Commander." Misato said. "Repair and maintenance crews are being shipped in from NERV facilities around the world. Top priority is to get the Command Center and Tokyo–3 back together, then they'll fix the landscaping in the Geofront."

"So, they won't condemn this place?" Hyuga asked.

"No, they want to repair it, and quickly." Misato said. "They want the base and the city ready and back in shape in the next month or two for the next Angel attack."

"So, what should we do then?" Makoto asked.

"We'll work in the Auxiliary Command Center until this place is repaired." Ritsuko said. "But what might be an even bigger problem is Unit–01."

"You mean the whole thing where it's beyond our control?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…" Ritsuko said. "The straps and the Cage won't hold if it turns back on, but there are no internal thermal, electric, electromagnetic, or chemical energy readings. The S2 Engine isn't putting out anything either."

"But can we trust that assessment?" Misato asked. "I mean, Unit–01 has activated spontaneously at least four times already… it could happen again."

"Well, we won't know for sure." Ritsuko said. "That's the nature of these things."

"Well, you apparently, are the only one who actually knows." Misato said.

"And what does that mean?" Ritsuko asked.

"I think she means you hide things form the rest of us." Maya said angrily. "Things that we should know considering we work around these crazy machines all the time."

"Can we just try and get Shinji out of there?" Misato asked. "We can save the arguing for when he's back."

The group made it to the Auxiliary Command Center and saw that no one was there.

"Where is everyone?" Aoba asked.

"Probably helping with repairs." Hyuga said. "There is a lot to do after all."

"Yeah, well, we still have to worry about Shinji." Misato said.

"Well, we haven't been able to get a signal to or from the Entry Plug since it cut out when Unit–01 was…" Maya said.

"Eating the Angel." Aoba finished.

"Yeah… that." Maya said.

"Can we try the ejection sequence again?" Misato asked. "I know you've tried it a million times since we dragged that thing back in here."

"I can try, ma'am…" Maya said. "But I don't think it will work."

"I'll work on getting a visual inside the thing, maybe see if he's ok." Hyuga said.

"I just called the Cage for Unit–01." Aoba said. "They connected the diagnostic cables, we can try to transmit over the direct line rather than wirelessly."

"Good idea." Maya said. "Aright, running ejection sequence through now… still no good. I think Unit–01 is actually rejecting the command… the command transmits and appears to be received, but its being overridden…"

"So, Unit–01 doesn't want to let go…" Ritsuko said.

"Uh… I got the video screen." Hyuga said. "Moving it to the main monitor."

An image came up on the screen showing the interior of Shinji's Entry Plug. The problem was, there was no Shinji. The only sign anyone had been in there were his clothes, floating around endlessly in the LCL.

"Where the hell is he?!" Misato shouted. "Why are his clothes there?!"

"So, my theory was correct…" Ritsuko muttered. "A sync rate that high… and you're A.T. Field fails…"

"Where is Shinji?!" Misato shouted. "This is the second time in two days that I've lost him, tell me where he is!"

"He's gone, there isn't anything we can do!" Ritsuko said.

SLAP

Ritsuko staggered back and the others just looked. Misato was glaring at Ritsuko with a cold fire in her eyes.

"Bullshit!" Misato shouted. "Stop standing there like a limp of shit, stop looking at what happens as a perfect experiment and find a way to bring him back! You know all the secrets about these Evangelions, use that stupid brain of your and figure something out!"

Ritsuko rubbed her face. "I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything…" Ritsuko said. "This will not be a simple task either… I need to look into some prior research…"

–––

Kaji was standing in in Gendo's office.

"So, what did SEELE have to say?" Kaji asked.

"Nothing…" Gendo said. "This concerns me…"

"Well, it shouldn't, they're just mad about something probably." Kaji said. "Something like Unit–01 has become something like a god?"

"Yes…" Gendo said. "This wasn't in their plans… it wasn't even mentioned. That's two things that will be knocking them off balance… they must be in a panic right now."

"Well, we have another issue besides that." Fuyutsuki said.

"What?" Gendo asked.

"Shinji." Fuyutsuki said. "He's trapped in the EVA…"

"Dr. Akagi is working on it." Gendo said.

"Yes, but can she get him out?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I do not know…" Gendo said.

"Have the others been informed?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yeah… I uh… told Asuka and Mari… Rei's still unconscious." Kaji said. "Asuka left the hospital and went home, and Mari's still in the hospital for observation."

"How… how did they take it?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Not that well…" Kaji said. "Not well at all."

–––

Asuka was home alone. She had been cleared to leave the hospital, as she didn't have anything more than some cuts and bruises. Her other wounds weren't as bad as the others as she had not been hit as many times by the Angel. Still, the emotional damage the Angel caused was far worse. She was holed up in Shinji's room like the last time he went missing, but she was not in a good place. Asuka was crying into Shinji's pillow, and she was wearing one of his t–shirts, and nothing else.

Asuka was shaking. "Shinji, why did you have to leave again?!" Asuka screamed up at the ceiling. "Why can't you be here to hold me?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO?!" Asuka rolled over and started crying into the pillow again. "I'm so fucking useless!" Asuka shouted at Shinji's pillow. "First Mari has to save me form that thing… then I can't even attack and kill that thing myself! It defeated me without even a second thought! Then Shinji has come back and save me, just like always! Why can't I save him just once! JUST FUCKING ONCE!" Asuka continued to sob into Shinji's pillow. "How can I say I truly love Shinji if I can't even protect him like he protects me? I don't deserve him… I'll never be worthy of him…" Asuka slammed her face back into the pillow. "Why can't I prove to him that I deserve to be with him by actually killing an Angel without any fucking help?! Why does Shinji always get hurt when I fuck up?! WHY AM I SO FUCKING STUPID?! WHY AM I SO FUCKING USELESS?!"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 73.6% (+2.3%)  
Asuka – 71.7% (+2.3%)  
Mari – 69.6% (+2.5%)  
Rei – 67.1% (+1.7%)

So, not much has changed in this battle other than Mari and Asuka working together, things went down basically how they did in the series, and manga. Shinji comes in a little late to the party, and kills Zeruel in a vicious assault that makes Unit–01 into a living god, and Shinji's ego borders disappear and he becomes trapped in the Core of Unit–01.

Next chapter is the month he's trapped in his personal hell with his mother, and how everyone reacts to it, then things start to get worse, like in the show when the next two Angels show up before this Episode comes to a close.

Now, just to note. I have Shinji's sync score listed as 73.6% when the chapter specifically states he went over 400%. Well, he had help with this chapter's sync scores and the last chapter, and the help came from Unit–01 and the controlled berserk mode, where Shinji's sync rate gets high, but becomes dangerously unstable. The longer he uses it at any given time, the more humanity it takes from him until his ego barriers fail and becomes one with the LCL in the Entry Plug. When his sync rate is more natural, and controlled, then he can use the EVA without the EVA's primal influence, and he won't run that risk, but that's a ways off, so for now, he has controlled berserk.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	9. Dissolved in a Sea of Light

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 9 – Dissolved in a Sea of Light  
August 2, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Rei was lying in bed, covered in bandages. Her arms, legs and head were heavily bandaged. She had an IV in, and was sleeping somewhat comfortably. She hadn't woken up since she was knocked unconscious by Zeruel's vicious attack. Rei however was starting to stir. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked rapidly when the sunlight hit them. She held her hand over her face and flexed it and stared at intently it.

"How am I still alive…" Rei muttered. "I am still me… I should be different… yet I am still the same…" Rei stared at the wall. "Wait… Shinji… did you save us?"

"Yeah, he did it again." Kaji said, which startled Rei quite severely. "Mr. Kaji? Why are you here?"

"Well, I came here to give you some news when you got up." Kaji said. "Shinji did indeed save you… we heard the alarm, and I led him back to the Cage to launch. He fought and defeated the Angel after a fierce fight."

Rei's lip quivered. "What about Asuka and Mari? I know they were hurt."

"Asuka's home now…" Kaji said. "But she's not talking to anyone… and Mari's still in a coma. She took a few more attacks than the rest of you."

"No…" Rei said worriedly. "What happened to Shinji?" Rei asked. "If I was decimated so easily… and Asuka and Mari were also bested, Shinji must have had issues…" Rei's eyes went wide and she started to shiver. "Is Shinji… has he… died? Did he die to protect us?"

"No, not at all." Kaji said. "He's not ok, but he's alive… we think… he's trapped inside of Unit–01's Core. His sync rate went too high and he, well his A.T. Field collapsed. They don't know if they can bring him back, but everyone is trying their best to bring him back. I just wanted to tell you myself…"

"Shinji…" Rei said tearfully. "He's… he's gone?"

"Yeah… he's gone Rei…" Kaji said. "But he's not dead…"

"Yes, but…" Rei said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "It is my fault. My plan failed… if I had killed the Angel… Shinji would not be… he would not be… gone!"

Kaji stepped forward and hugged the crying girl tightly. "Rei, it's not your fault that Shinji's trapped." Kaji said consolingly "It's no one's fault, Rei… these things just happen, there isn't any way to predict that would have happened. You don't have to cry, Rei…" Kaji wiped Rei's tears away. "I don't think Shinji would like you crying though…"

Rei sniffled. "I believe you are correct." Rei smiled. "It just seemed like an appropriate reaction."

"It was, Rei." Kaji said. "But I just don't like seeing girls cry."

"Do you believe Shinji will be alright?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, he always pulls through…" Kaji said. "He has luck on his side."

"I believe you…" Rei said. "But I still feel sad that he is gone."

"It's alright to feel sad, Rei." Kaji said. "You're allowed to feel you know."

"No… I cannot." Rei said. "I do not handle emotions well… I am not used to them."

Kaji smiled. "Rei, I think you handle your emotions just fine."

"When may I leave the hospital?" Rei asked.

"Probably a few days." Kaji said. "The doctors said they want to keep you for observation. You did get knocked around quite a bit."

"Yes, I was…" Rei said.

"Rei… you had a wonderful fight, I saw the whole thing from Unit–02." Kaji said.

"How did you see the whole fight?" Rei asked. "Were you in the Geofront?"

"Yeah, I was." Kaji said. "I got Shinji to the door to base, and then went and helped Asuka and Mari. What you did was very brave. It was a great plan too."

"It was reckless." Rei said. "I was desperate to kill that Angel. I wanted to save everyone. But I was unable to."

"Rei what you did bought time for Shinji to get into Unit–01, and Asuka and Mari gave you time to get into Unit–00, you all saved us from dying. Every second you were fighting was one more second people had to get out of the base. It was one more second the Angel couldn't finish its plan and start Third Impact. You didn't fail anyone, Rei, you did what you were supposed to, fight your hardest."

"So you don't think I failed?" Rei asked.

"No, I think you did great." Kaji said. "Why are you asking? You've never asked before to my knowledge."

"No… I have not." Rei said. "I have only done what I was told before… I have never acted of my volition."

"Well, maybe it's time for you to do that more often." Kaji said. "I think you'd be better for it, really."

"Why do you say that?" Rei asked.

"Well, sometimes all you can trust is your gut." Kaji said. "Now, I've got to go check on Misato, she hasn't been doing great…"

"Because she loves Shinji like her child." Rei said. "She admitted as much when he was forced to leave… we all care about Shinji… he is… special."

"Yeah… he is special." Kaji said. "Now, just relax, I'll come by to see you later, ok?"

"Thank you, Mr. Kaji." Rei said as Kaji walked out of the room. 'I just hope you are right about Shinji… I'd like for my big brother to be safe…' Rei thought.

–––

Shinji was floating in nothingness. Lights and shapes spiraled around him. Shinji had returned to normal from his controlled berserk state during the battle.

"Where am I?" Shinji asked.

" _You are here._ " A voice responded.

"Where is here?" Shinji asked. "The last thing I remember was being in the Entry Plug."

" _You are here._ " The voice repeated.

"But where is here?" Shinji asked. "And who are you?"

" _You are here with me._ " The voice said. " _And you know who I am._ "

"Who are you?!" Shinji shouted.

" _You are not ready yet._ " The voice said. " _In time… you will find out. You are very close, Shinji._ "

"How do you know my name?!" Shinji shouted into the abyss. "Who are you?!"

" _Goodbye for now…_ " The voice said.

"Wait, don't go!" Shinji cried out. "Don't leave me alone here, I'm afraid!"

* * *

August 3, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Kaji was staying over at Misato's apartment. He had been staying over every night since Shinji was taken by Unit–01. Misato was still fast asleep when Kaji woke up. He blinked a few times at the morning sun. Pen–Pen was sleeping on the other side of the bed, and Kaji chuckled silently. Kaji stroked Misato's hair for a few minutes before he got up as silently as possible so he didn't wake her up.

'She needs the sleep…' Kaji thought. 'She's barely slept since it happened.'

Kaji slid Misato's door open and closed silently as Misato rolled over and started snoring loudly. He walked out into the kitchen where takeout food wrappers and other garbage were strewn around. Kaji looked at it and realized why they were there.

'Damn… she's right back to how she was before Shinji got here… takeout every night.' Kaji thought. 'You don't realize how much that kid did here until he's been gone a few days. I haven't ever seen Misato so… depressed.'

Kaji walked out of the kitchen and saw a similar mess in the living room.

'Damn…' Kaji thought. 'This place looks like a war zone… maybe I should pick some of this up… after I check on Asuka though.'

Kaji walked right by Asuka and Mari's empty room to Shinji's closed door.

'Man, Asuka is taking this so hard… she's locked herself away in his room… I don't even think she's come out since she went in there… which seems impossible… yet she's in there… all alone…'

Kaji knocked on the door. "Asuka… are you up?" Kaji asked. "Do you want to talk?"

"Go away!" Asuka shouted. "Just leave me alone!"

"Asuka, I just want to help you." Kaji said. "Please let me come in…"

"No, I don't need anyone's help!" Asuka shouted. "I'm fine being alone! I don't need ANYONE! JUST GO AWAY, I DON'T NEED YOU!"

Kaji looked crestfallen as he stared at the door. "Asuka… I know you love him… and he'll be fine, I promise you that."

"JUST GO AWAY!" Asuka screamed.

Kaji sighed. "Asuka… if you ever want to talk again… I'm here for you." Kaji said as he walked away.

Kaji walked into the kitchen and saw Misato heating up some leftover curry. "Hey… Kaji, you ok?" Misato asked.

"Oh, you're up…" Kaji said. "Sorry, I thought you were asleep."

"I've been awake forever." Misato said. "I just faked it for your benefit."

Kaji smirked. "I hope your sleeping is the only thing you fake for my benefit."

"Kaji…" Misato shook her head. "I've never faked an orgasm in my life."

"Well… good to know." Kaji said. "But why fake being asleep."

"I don't like seeing you worry." Misato said. "You worry about everything so much, me… Asuka… Shinji… you needed to relax."

"I don't need to relax, Misato." Kaji said. "I just want Shinji back for you, for Asuka, for everyone. You guys are all so worried about him, and I care about all of you, so I'm just worried. It's what I do."

"Kaji… you don't have to worry about me." Misato said. "I know, Shinji will be fine… Asuka's the one to worry about. She's holed up in his room, and I'm not sure why."

"I don't know either…" Kaji lied. "But she's in there, so she must miss him. And she doesn't want to come out."

"I don't know why…" Misato said. "I just wish she'd talk to someone."

"She'd probably talk to Mari or Shinji if they were here." Kaji said.

"Yeah, but Mari's still in a coma, and Shinji is…" Misato said sullenly.

"Currently unavailable." Kaji said. "I hope Mari wakes up soon. Asuka needs someone to talk to, someone she can trust."

"What about Rei?" Misato asked.

"I don't know…" Kaji said. "I've never really seen them being friendly."

"Well, Rei's awake, perhaps she could come and visit." Misato said.

"Yeah, Ritsuko isn't letting Rei out of the hospital." Kaji said. "And I don't think Asuka's in any condition to leave the house. She's not exactly going to school."

"Yeah, you're right…" Misato said. "Is she ok?"

"No, well… you heard her." Kaji said.

"Yeah… she's hurting, and she won't tell anyone." Misato said. "You'd tell me if you were hurting, right Kaji?"

"Why would you even ask me that?" Kaji asked. "I'm not the one that fakes being asleep."

"Fair enough." Misato replied. "But do you really think Shinji will be ok? I mean, he's been absorbed into the EVA… can he even come back?"

"Yeah… Shinji will be fine." Kaji said. "He's a lucky kid, and he got out from inside the Twelfth Angel, he stopped the Tenth Angel, he's done so much… but clearly everyone cares about him… let's just let Ritsuko and Maya work and I know Maya will keep her honest. We just need to be patient."

"I don't want to be patient, I want him back." Misato said.

"I know, you want your boy back." Kaji said. "He'll be fine, I know he'll come back."

"How do you know?" Misato asked. "How _can_ you know?"

"I trust him." Kaji said. "I know he'll be fine, he always is."

"What about Toji?" Misato asked.

"Well, he's still in a coma." Kaji said. "And his girlfriend keeps trying to see him. She says she's worried about him. Is there anything you can do about that?"

"Well, I can see about security." Misato said. "Maybe that girl can visit Toji's sister too. She's been pretty much alone the last few weeks."

"Yeah, she's a nice girl." Kaji said. "And her name is Sakura by the way. I've looked in on her a few times, and chatted with Rei… and Mari's still out… but maybe Toji's girlfriend… uh… Hikari is it… maybe she'll make the girl smile a bit more."

"Did you tell Sakura about Toji and Shinji?" Misato asked.

"No… just about Toji." Kaji said. "I don't want her to worry too much, she's already got a lot of stuff to worry about. Hopefully Shinji will be back before I have to tell her."

"Yeah, well, I hope Shinji comes back before Toji or Mari comes to." Misato said. "I don't want to have to tell them. Toji will be devastated… and Mari…"

"Mari will be worse off than Asuka." Kaji said. "I mean… Rei cried when I told her. And Rei's not the emotional type."

"Do you really think Mari will be worse off than Asuka?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, Asuka likes him a lot, but Shinji is Mari's best friend." Kaji said. "They have a very special bond… she won't be in a good place… she may even kick Asuka out of Shinji's room, and the last thing we need without Shinji here is those two fighting."

"Yeah, he's the only one that keeps them in check." Misato said. "That and he keeps this place so clean… and he always makes sure I'm tucked in too…"

"So… he's more like the parent in this house." Kaji said as he enveloped Misato in a hug.

"I'd like to say no… but you're not wrong." Misato said as she snuggled against him. "He really is the glue that holds this place together… I want him back…"

"I know, Misato…" Kaji said as he squeezed her tighter. "I know…"

* * *

August 5, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Mari had been in bad shape. She sustained a lot of sympathy injuries to her body thanks to Zeruel's brutal attack. Because of these injures, she's been totally unresponsive when she was brought into the medical wing. She hadn't required life support, but she was under close observation in case anything went wrong. Kaji came in to check on her at least twice a day, usually before and after he visited Rei and Sakura.

Today, Mari, instead of lying there like she had been, she awoke somewhat suddenly and looked around groggily. Kaji happened to walk into the room as Mari started looking around, and she caught sight of him.

"So… finally gracing us with your presence, eh Makinami?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah…" Mari said rubbing her head. "Did anyone get the license plate on that truck that fucking wrecked my ass?"

"Yeah, it had a big "14" painted on it when it ran you down." Kaji said.

"So… how long have I been out cold?" Mari asked.

"Well, five days or so." Kaji explained. "You got it pretty bad."

"No shit…" Mari said. "So, what are you doing here? To tell me how the fight went after I got put down? I'm guessing the princess or the blueberry fucked that thing in its ass?"

"Well… that's not quite how it went down." Kaji said. "Everyone did give it their all though."

"So, what happened then?" Mari asked. "Don't keep me in suspense, scruffy."

"Well, you went down, and then Asuka went down…" Kaji explained. "You both fought pretty well, and you slowed the Angel down a bit. Then Rei came up with two N2 warheads, and she tried to nuke the Angel."

"So, Rei killed it?" Mari asked. "That's awesome!"

"No… the Angel blocked the blast and took Rei down, but she's ok, she awake and everything." Kaji explained. "Then, Shinji came out in Unit–01. I grabbed him and got him down to the Geofront, and saw you and Asuka go down. So Shinji ran off to the Cage, and I went to help you guys. He killed that thing dead, and wrecked the bas and the Geofront to do it. I should show you the footage sometime… you'd be impressed I think."

"Shinji came back then…" Mari said. "So, where is the puppy? I need to thank him properly for pulling that win out of his ass."

"Ah… well, that's a little hard to explain." Kaji said.

"I'm not an idiot, scruffy." Mari said angrily. "What happened to Shinji, I want to know."

"Mari, this is going to be a bit of shock, especially considering your history." Kaji explained.

Mari's eyes widened and her half a smile turned into a quivering lip. "Is he dead?" Mari asked tearfully. "Please, please tell me he's not dead…"

"Mari…" Kaji said sullenly. "He's been absorbed by the Core of Unit–01."

"What…?" Mari said as tears started rolling down her cheeks. "He… he can't have been! You're lying to me!"

"No, Mari, I not." Kaji said. "I'm sorry I have to tell you about this… it isn't fair., but that's what happened after the battle, Shinji pushed it too far to kill the Angel and became one with Unit–01. But he saved us all, don't forget that."

"Yeah… but he's… he's trapped…" Mari said. 'He's inside of a Core… it's the worst possible thing that could happen…' Mari thought. 'I was trapped there for 6,178 days… I can't lose him… I can't let Yui down… even if he's with her… he deserves a happy life… one without conflict… and I failed him… I let him and Yui down…'

'I figured she'd take this hard…' Kaji thought. 'Her having been trapped in a Core herself… she must be extremely worried about him…'

As Mari kept crying helplessly in bed, Kaji walked over to her. "Mari… are you going to be ok?"

"No… no I won't!" Mari shouted. "Shinji's gone, and I can't do anything to help him! I'm the worst friend in the world!"

"Mari… you did your part." Kaji said as he enveloped her in a hug. "You fought the Angel… you held it at bay as long as you could. Shinji was angry that you got hurt… that's what drove him to fight again… to avenge your injuries. To save you all…"

"Shinji's a… a good person…" Mari stammered between sobs. "Why couldn't I be better?!"

"Mari you are better." Kaji said. "That Angel required a deep sacrifice to defeat, and Shinji did that. And considering your injuries, I think if you had been given the chance, you would have done the same thing."

Mari wiped her eyes. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do." Kaji said. "Any of you kids are capable of doing that, but Shinji just happened to be the first to get there."

"So… what's going to happen to him?" Mari asked. "How are they getting him out of there?! What's being done?!"

"Maya and Ritsuko are working on a solution…" Kaji started.

"I don't trust that Akagi bitch!" Mari shouted. "She'll hurt Shinji just to get back at me and Asuka for being rude to her! She'll leave him to die! I can't trust her!"

"No… it's in her best interests to get Shinji back." Kaji said.

Kaji chuckled. "Well… let's just say Misato threated to make Ritsuko regret being born if she didn't get Shinji back, and Maya seconded that… incentive…"

"Well… add me to the list of people that'll fuck her up if she fails." Mari said. "But I get first dibs… to make her pay."

"That's the spirit, Mari." Kaji said. "Just channel that anger into something constructive and use that to get better."

"So… how's Asuka taking this news?" Mari asked. "I know she's uh…"

"I know Asuka likes Shinji." Kaji said as he stepped back from Mari.

"Well… she doesn't just like him…" Mari said. "She kinda loves him…"

"Well… that fits…" Kaji said. "It explains her being holed up in his room and refusing to come out."

"So… she's not handling it that well…" Mari said. "I need to see her… I have to tell her he'll be fine…" Mari tried to move, but aggravated all her injuries. "Motherfucker! That hurts!"

"Hey… don't try to move!" Kaji said. "You'll just hurt yourself!"

"Yeah… just learned that the hard way…" Mari muttered. "I'll have to figure out how to help Asuka from here."

"Well, give it a few days, then maybe you can get out of here." Kaji said. "Just lay back down and rest up… I'm sure you'll get out of here soon enough."

"I hope so…" Mari said. "I don't think Asuka will be ok on her own for long…"

* * *

August 8, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Mari had just been released from the hospital. Her first order of business was staggering home with her injuries. Kaji had offered her a ride, but she refused, saying she could make it to the train station. After a short ride on the train, she made it close to home. After a painfully short walk she made it to the apartment. Mari was glad the elevator was working and made it inside. She could hear Misato snoring in her room and saw that her own room was empty. Looking down the hall, Mari saw Pen–Pen sitting outside Shinji's closed door, and Mari could hear muffled crying.

Mari walked up to Pen–Pen and patted him silently on the head. "Thanks for keeping an eye on the princess…"

The bird nuzzled Mari's leg and nodded at her, and then disappeared towards Misato's room. Mari, without any hesitation opened Shinji's door to see Asuka face down on Shinji's bed, her face buried in his pillow. Her hair was matted and greasy, like she hadn't showered in a few days.

"Asuka…" Mari said quietly. "It's me…"

"What do you want…" Asuka said weakly.

"I'm just making sure you're ok…" Mari said. "Clearly you're not…"

"No…" Asuka said. "I'll never be alright… I failed Shinji… I don't deserve his love, I never did. I'm a failure as an EVA pilot, I don't deserve to have Unit–02… I don't deserve anything… I should just be allowed to die alone…"

"Well, unfortunately for you, I'm not leaving you to die alone." Mari said. "Now, come on, sit up… I don't need you suffocating on me."

Asuka lifted her head weakly and looked at Mari. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. She had dark circles under her eyes, and dried tears and snot all over her face.

"Asuka…" Mari said. "Here, sit up…"

Mari sat on the bed next to Asuka and helped her up. She wiped Asuka's face and wiped her face off, then brushed Asuka's hair out of her face, and Asuka collapsed into Mari's arms and started crying.

"I… I can't believe I failed him again…" Asuka cried out. "I let him down… I should have fought harder! I'm a failure! I… I…"

Mari wrapped her arms around Asuka and tried her best to comfort her. "No, Asuka… you're letting him down by not getting back out there…" Mari said. "He'd be saddened to know that you're here crying instead of trying to improve for the next fight… the next fight where you'll save Shinji from getting hurt. Don't you want that?"

"I shouldn't be anywhere near and Evangelion…" Asuka said sullenly. "I'll just let people get hurt… I should have been the one to get kicked out of here… not Shinji… I love someone I don't deserve to be with…"

"Asuka… Kaji said we did our best out there… didn't he tell you that?" Mari asked.

"I don't think he got the chance…" Asuka said. "When I heard Shinji was absorbed, I just started screaming and ran home…"

"So he didn't get to tell you why Shinji was so enraged when he fought the Angel?" Mari asked.

"No… I never let him…" Asuka said.

"He saw us get taken out…" Mari said. "Kaji said he got so enraged he ran off to get to Unit–01 and showed that Angel why he shouldn't mess with us… he was so and that you got hurt… and that I got hurt… he just wanted it to all end… he wanted to save us…"

"Shinji wanted to save us?" Asuka asked. "Does that mean he doesn't think I'm useless…"

"I don't think Shinji could ever think that about you, princess…" Mari said. "Asuka, you need to remember one thing, Shinji is a kind person, he doesn't care about anything other than you being his friend…"

"But does he love me?" Asuka asked. "I don't think he'll ever love me…"

Mari paused for a moment and couldn't bring herself to break Shinji's confidence. "Asuka, I told you already to ask him out… you'll never know if you don't ask him."

"But when will I ask him?" Asuka asked. "He's… he's gone…"

"If you don't believe he'll ever come back… how can you ever ask him what he really feels about you?" Mari asked. "Just have a little bit of hope, Asuka… and he'll come back, he always does. He'll never leave us alone…"

"I hope you're right…" Asuka said.

"I'm sure I am." Mari said. "Shinji would never let us down." Mari squeezed Asuka a bit. "Now, it's time to get you into the bath. You'll stay in there and clean off while I go check on Rei, when I get back, I'll bring dinner, ok?"

"Wait… you're leaving me…" Asuka asked. "Please don't leave me Mari… I… I lied to Kaji… I don't want to be alone… I hate being alone…"

"I know, princess…" Mari said consolingly. "I'm not leaving you… I just think you'd be better off taking a bath first, I'll let Rei know you're ok."

"As long as you promise to come back…" Asuka said as she hugged Mari tightly.

"I promise I'll come back, Asuka…" Mari said consolingly. "And I promise Shinji will come back to you too."

–––

Mari was limping her way to Rei's building to talk to her. After her somewhat successful talk with Asuka, Mari needed to make sure Rei was ok. Mari walked up the stairs and knocked on Rei's door. Rei opened the door and stared blankly at Mari.

"Oh, hello Mari…" Rei muttered. "I am glad you have been released from the hospital."

"Yeah, just got out this morning, still not all better." Mari said. "But I'll get there."

"So, is there something you wish to discuss?" Rei asked. "I am extremely tired."

"Yeah, I just wanted to see that you're ok, blueberry." Mari asked.

"I will be fine when Shinji returns." Rei said. "Until then… I am not fine. How is Asuka?"

"Asuka's the same as you are…" Mari grimaced. "Blueberry…" Mari said. "You don't love him, do you?"

"I do love him… but in that way…" Rei said. "More like a sibling… and I wish for his safe return, so I will do as I am told and keep going through every set of tests that Dr. Akagi give to me."

"Is that why you're so tired?" Mari asked.

"Yes…" Rei replied. "And I cannot sleep."

"Why not?" Mari asked.

Rei sighed. "Shinji is missing, and I miss his presence… without him, things feel uneasy…"

"I know what you mean." Mari said. "Would you like to come back to my place? Maybe being with us will make you feel better."

"No, I cannot go back to that place until Shinji has returned." Rei said.

"I could stay here…" Mari said.

Rei smiled and hugged Mari. "I wish to be alone until then Mari… I hope you can understand that…"

Mari kissed Rei on the cheek. "I understand." Mari smiled. "I'm sure Shinji will be fine… and I hope you're not mad at me for interrupting you…"

"I am glad you came to see me Mari…" Rei said. "I have… feelings for you too…" Rei blushed. "Perhaps… perhaps after Shinji comes back we can become closer friends… but for now… I am too worried about Shinji to focus on other things…"

"I'm glad to hear that… I have feelings for you too…" Mari said somewhat happily. "I'll see you later, blueberry… I can't wait to get to know you better…"

"I will see you tomorrow, Mari." Rei said. "We have a sync test in the morning… seeing as you're out of the hospital I believe you will be required to attend."

"Well… yeah that sounds fun…" Mari said. "But I guess I'll see you in the morning now."

"Goodbye, Mari…" Rei said as she blushed. "Tell Asuka I'm glad she's ok."

"Don't worry…" Mari said. "I'll make sure to tell her…"

* * *

August 9, 2016 – NERV HQ

Mari was wondering around NERV after their sync tests. She was in a pretty sullen mood. After being berated by Dr. Akagi for all of their sync scores having fallen, with Asuka's plummeting almost 8 points, Misato had to step in and tell her that the emotional turmoil of having a missing friend was weighing on their minds, and until Shinji was recovered, no more sync tests would be performed. So, while Asuka and Rei went silently to the locker rooms, Mari walked off to be alone.

After a while, Mari found herself in the Isolation Cage with a partly armored Unit–01. She could see the hulking mass inside through the window. Mari fiddled with the keypad and got it to beep open. Mari walked inside, plugsuit still on, and looked directly into the uncovered face of Unit–01.

"So, this is that's under that hefty armored plating." Mari said. "Heya Yui… how's Shinji?"

Unit–01 did nothing but stand there imposingly.

"Yui, are you still in there?" Mari asked. "Is something wrong?"

Unit–01 kept standing there.

"I know you're probably mad at me…" Mari said sullenly. "I know I failed Shinji… and I let you down too… I'm really sorry…"

Unit–01 blinked once, and its unbandaged eye moved and focused on Mari.

"Oh, so you're still awake in there…" Mari said. "Is Shinji ok?"

Unit–01 blinked once, indicating Yui was saying yes.

"Good…" Mari said. "We all miss him a lot… me… Rei… and Asuka… he all just want him back… we can't even concentrate properly on our synchronization because we'll all so worried about him… please tell me that Shinji can come back… we all want him back with us… please Yui… can Shinji come home."

Unit–01 blinked twice, indicating Yui was saying no.

"Why can't he come home?" Mari asked. "Isn't he able to?!"

Unit–01 blinked once.

"So he doesn't want to come back to us?!" Mari shouted. "Tell me!"

Unit–01 blinked twice.

"So if he can come home if he wants, and wants to come back to us, then what is I Yui?!" Mari screamed. "Is he not ready yet?!"

Unit–01 blinked once.

"So… he's not ready yet…" Mari said. "Please, Yui… just get him home to us… he and Asuka are really close to getting together, and he's happy here… and I… I miss the puppy… I just want to hug him and tell him everything will be ok…"

Unit–01 blinked once.

"Thanks Yui…" Mari said as she's walking away. "I'm sorry for yelling… I'm just stressed without him here… he makes life so much better by just being around."

–––

Rei had left the locker room to go home. She had heard Asuka crying in the shower, but thought better to leave her be, as Asuka disliked being caught having emotions. Rei herself had cried in the shower and decided she would be better off being alone again at home.

It took Rei only a little while to get home, as she walked at a fast pace. By the time she got back to her dingy apartment, her eyes were welling with tears, and as she walked to her bed, she stripped off her clothes and collapsed crying onto her bed.

"Why am I crying?" Rei asked herself. "Is it all because I miss Shinji… Shinji my brother?" Rei reached up and grabbed her Mew plushie from above her bed and brought it close to her chest. "Why do I feel this way? Why am I so sad that Shinji is gone… will he be alright? Is he safe?"

Rei looked over at her darkened apartment. "I have never felt this way about anything before… I have never had these emotions where I felt the need to cry…" Rei sniffled. "I feel a love for Shinji that I cannot explain… he makes me feel safe, and without him here… I do not feel safe… even with Mari and Asuka here… Shinji's presence makes me feel like I cannot die, like I am irreplaceable…" Rei paused. "Asuka makes me feel happy… she has done so much to be kind to me lately… and Mari makes me feel… warm… I do not know why I feel that way… but it is nice… with Shinji being back… I will feel happy safe and warm again…"

Rei turned over in her bed and clutched Mew tightly. "Please, Shinji… come back to us soon… I… I need you…"

* * *

August 15, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Hikari was sitting quietly beside Toji's bed. After a lot of string pulling by Misato and Kaji, Hikari, as Toji's girlfriend, had been allowed to visit him whenever she wanted. This had been the fifth day she'd been sitting by his bedside, relaxing quietly and waiting for Toji to show some signs of life.

He still smelled of LCL, which was used to accelerate the healing of his fractured bones and bruised or ruptured organs. His skin had been ripped apart, leaving it a mess, which happened when Bardiel's tentacles had ripped free of his body during the sadistic Angel's death throes.

So, Hikari sat quietly and stared at him breathing quietly, the wounds on his face having been healed, and his other wounds having been mostly repaired. He was breathing on his own, unaware of the world around him.

"Well, you're looking better today, Toji…" Hikari said quietly. "I wish you were awake… I really want to talk to you… it's been too long…"

Toji stayed there quietly, breathing as he slept.

"I don't know… maybe if I kiss you…" Hikari said. "Kinda like Sleeping Beauty…" Hikari leaned over Toji and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Come on… that should have worked… you're such a jerk…"

"No I'm not…" Toji said weakly.

"Yes you are…" Hikari replied without thinking. "Wait… Toji…?"

"Yeah… why are you being so loud?" Toji said.

"Cause you're awake dumbass!" Hikari said as she slammed into him with a bone crushing hug. "God, you're an idiot!"

"Ow! Hikari, back it up… you're hurting me." Toji said.

"Quit being a baby…" Hikari said. "I missed you."

"Yeah but how are you in here?" Toji asked. "You don't work for NERV."

"Kaji and Misato got me in here to see you." Hikari explained. "I told you, I was worried about you."

"How could you have missed me, it's only been what, a day or two. You didn't need to be worried." Toji said. "I left for Matsushiro yesterday, right?"

"No, Toji…" Hikari said. "That was 18 days ago. You've been in a coma since the accident…"

"What happened?" Toji asked. "All I remember was… I activated the EVA… and then I remember talking to the Angel… the Angel… that freak spoke to me… he tortured me…" Toji's body shivered. "He tried to kill Asuka, and Mari, and Rei, and Shinji…"

Hikari crawled into bed next to Toji and held him. "It's ok, Toji… you don't have to be afraid. Everything will be alright."

"No… it won't… the last thing I remember Mari stabbing the EVA… I felt it… I started bleeding… I kept telling Shinji to kill that thing, but he wouldn't fight back… he said he didn't want to hurt me… he almost died…"

"But he saved you…" Hikari said. "He did his best to save you."

"How did he manage that?" Toji asked.

"No one explained it to me." Hikari said.

"Well maybe I can help." Kaji said. "Nice to see you're up, Toji…"

"Yeah thanks…" Toji said. "So, do you know what happened, Mr. Kaji?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here, Kaji?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, just here visiting young Sakura, then decided I'd come and see how you're doing." Kaji said. "She's a nice kid, she'll be glad to hear her hero of a big brother is awake."

"Wait, she knows what happened to me?" Toji asked.

"Nothing specific." Kaji said. "Just that you got hurt fighting an Angel, I didn't think the rest of it was relevant."

"So, do you know what happened?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, you work here, you must have seen it all happen." Hikari said.

"I did see it…" Kaji said. "There's a record of it too."

"Really?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, I can show you the video feeds from the battle." Kaji said. "That is if you're up for it of course… it's not exactly a happy feed."

"What does the feed include?" Hikari asked.

"The Entry Plug footage and external fixed cameras from around the battle zone." Kaji explained. "It also has the audio feeds from everyone too. Are you sure you're up for it Toji? I don't want to you to see this if you're not ready."

"I'm ready… I want to see what happened." Toji said.

"Toji…" Hikari said.

"Babe, I'll be fine…" Toji said. "I wanna see it."

"Ok, kid." Kaji said. "Just don't be too shocked by what you see."

"I won't be." Toji said.

Kaji pulled out a tablet and set it in front of Toji and Hikari and hit play. The video started just before the EVAs intercepted Bardiel and Unit–03. Toji gasped at every punch and kick that was thrown, Hikari was near tears as everyone tried their best to save Toji. Finally, the Dummy Plug activated, and that's when Hikari cried and Toji got worried. They heard Shinji's speech, and saw the battle end, but Kaji had added in extra video, video that ran all the way through Shinji destroying the pyramid in a fit of rage. When the video stopped, Hikari and Toji were in tears.

"Did Shinji really get that mad?" Toji asked. "Like, I've never seen him angry at all…"

"Yeah… Shinji was beyond pissed." Kaji said. "If the EVA hadn't shut down, he would have destroyed the Geofront himself. Hell, his father arrested him and threw him out."

"Why did he do that?" Toji asked.

"Well… Shinji beat his father up pretty bad for trying to hurt you." Kaji explained. "I mean, it was brutal, Shinji didn't want to stop until he was dead."

"I didn't know Shinji could get that violent." Toji said.

"I did." Hikari said. "He only piloted to protect his friends. He told me that a long time ago… he would let himself die to protect the people he cared about."

"Wow, you guys really are great friends with him." Toji said.

"Well, Shinji has that effect on people." Kaji said.

"I have a question though, why was everything so violent?" Hikari asked. "I mean, that Angel was in the EVA, right? How was it in the EVA?"

"It was a very violent Angel." Kaji said. "A parasitic Angel that tried to kill Toji. Whatever happened, it could have ended up a lot worse than it did. I hear you're going to make a full and complete recovery within a few weeks."

"A few weeks, huh?" Toji asked. "I guess that could be worse." Toji chuckled. "Hey, where's Shinji now? I wanna tell him thank you for saving my hide."

"Hikari, did you get to that?" Kaji asked.

"No… not yet…" Hikari said. "It hadn't come up yet…"

"Shit…" Kaji said. "Hikari… you should explain that… he should hear that from you… I've already given that news to too many people…"

"What happened to Shinji?" Toji asked.

"Yeah… why don't you just go?" Hikari said. "I'll handle it… you told me everything anyway… it'll be easier."

"Yeah, sure…" Kaji said. "See you later guys… I'll let the girls know you're ok. Hikari, Sakura said she wants to see you too. So don't forget."

"I won't." Hikari said as Kaji left the room.

"Hikari, what happened to Shinji?" Toji asked. "Is he ok?"

"No, he's not ok, Toji…" Hikari said. "He got… uh how did Kaji explain it. He was absorbed by Unit–01 against the Fourteenth Angel."

"What this happened during our fight?" Toji asked.

"No, that was the Thirteenth Angel." Hikari said. "This was a separate Angel, the Fourteenth, it nearly wiped out the Geofront… and Shinji saved everyone, risking his own life to do it. He's trapped and can't come back… he did it to protect his friends."

"So, Shinji's dead?" Toji asked.

"No, not dead, just trapped." Hikari said. "Kaji kept assuring me while I cried that Shinji's a tough kid and he'll be back soon enough."

"Do you really think so?" Toji asked. "I… want to be able to thank him…"

"You will." Hikari said. "I know they'll get him back, for all of us."

"Man… after all this I'm kinda tired…" Toji said.

"I figured that." Hikari said. "My big strong boyfriend."

"So, you still love me after all this?" Toji asked.

"I would love you even if you were missing a leg, Toji." Hikari said. "I'd love you no matter what happens."

"Well that's sweet." Toji said. "But I'm glad I have all my limbs, especially considering how violent that fight was."

"Well, I guess you owe Shinji a thank you when he gets back." Hikari said.

"Yeah, I do…" Toji said. "But, uh… I'm assuming you're going to see Sakura, right?"

"Yeah, so you can sleep a bit." Hikari said.

"Does she know about Shinji?" Toji asked.

"No, Kaji decided to only tell her a bit about you." Hikari said. "He's right, she'd be too worried. She may understand, but she'd be so worried about him."

"Well, he's right." Toji said. "Why don't you go see her. Tell her I'm ok, and that I miss her so much."

"Don't worry, I'll let Sakura know about you waking up…" Hikari said. "But I'll keep everything on Shinji quiet… she doesn't need to know yet. We'll tell her when Shinji's back safe and sound."

"Well… maybe in a few days I can go see her myself." Toji said. "Tell her about Shinji myself."

"Not likely, you're still in bad shape. You need to rest and get better, Toji." Hikari said. "But I'm just glad you're alright…"

–––

Mari was in Shinji's room with Asuka. Asuka was sleeping somewhat peacefully with Mari snuggled up against her. Mari had been able to calm down Asuka after her latest fit. But Mari was unable to sleep. She couldn't help but think about Shinji and what had happened to him, and what he was going through.

'I just hope he's not in the same position I was in…' Mari thought. 'I know my time in the Core was shit… Lilith was a fucking cunt… she tortured me… but Yui is with Shinji, so he should be mostly safe… I hope.' Mari grimaced. 'I just hope he doesn't get disoriented in there… he might think its reality in there if his mind gets a hold of him.'

A tear escaped Mari's eye and rolled onto Asuka's cheek. 'I just want him to come back… that way I can get these two together. They deserve to be together… they'll be so happy when they finally realize they're in love with each other. I just want to see them be happy together, without the threat of Angels or Evangelions… just them, together, and happy…'

Mari stroked Asuka's hair. 'I'm sorry, Asuka… I wish I could do more for you, but you're so sad right now… I know you miss him, but he'll be fine… I think… I'll never tell you this, but part of me thinks he can't come back… he might never be able to escape… I was let out by Lilith… ad he might not get that option. Being in one of those things does stuff to you, it changes you… I just hope the Shinji we get back is the one that left…'

* * *

August 18, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Kensuke was sitting alone in class. Hikari had called him last night to tell him a bunch of stuff. They stayed on the phone a very long time, and Kensuke was shocked to have heard everything he was told. So, like he had the last few weeks, he'd gone to school alone, and sat alone in the classroom with no one to talk to.

'All my friends are all busy… and I'm stuck here all alone…' Kensuke thought. 'I can't believe that Toji was Unit–03's pilot… and that Shinji's trapped in an EVA… so much has happened, and I've been left I the dark, and now I'm alone. All my so called friends aren't even here… and I can't even go see them. Hikari said they're all a mess, and that she's the only one allowed to see Toji…'

Kensuke sighed. 'I'm not even and that Toji was the pilot of Unit–03… I'm just glad he's ok. I mean, I guess Shinji was right, the EVAs really are dangerous. I don't think I want to pilot one anymore, not if it can be taken over by an Angel… that and it almost killed all my friends. Then I'd really be alone…'

Kensuke grimaced and stared out the window. 'I just hope Shinji gets back safe… that way things can get back to normal. I can't get through the day alone like this again.'

One of their classmates walked by, and poked Kensuke in the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for?" Kensuke asked.

"What, your friends aren't back yet." The kid said. "Hell, even the Class Rep isn't here to keep you from getting teased like the weirdo you are. None of your pilot friends are here either, so you're on your own."

"Great…" Kensuke said. "Just go away."

"Or what, your friends will beat me up?" The kid said. "Fat chance considering they ever show up to class. Get used to it, you're my new target."

Kensuke grimaced as the kid walked away. 'Great, now I have to go through this again… I haven't had to deal with this shit since Toji became my friend…' Kensuke thought. 'I wish he was here right now. I wish any one of my friends were here with me…'

* * *

August 19, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka was alone in the bathroom. She was soaking in the tub and also hiding in the tub to get away from the overly clingy Mari. Asuka was tired of being watched and cuddled, as the only person she wanted near her was not even close by or even remotely available.

"Shinji…" Asuka muttered. "Why did you have to leave me… why can't you just stay near me in case I need you… I mean… I do… I do need you…" Asuka teared up again. "Shinji… I love you… and I… I need you with me… I just want to kiss you… but you're gone because I failed you, and I can't get what I want… which is you…"

Asuka buried her head in between her legs and cried quietly so Mari wouldn't burst in and try to console her while she was naked. "I hate myself for letting Shinji down…" Asuka sobbed silently. "I don't deserve someone I can't protect… he protects all of us without thinking… but I can't even pull myself together long enough to kill an Angel and protect the boy I… the boy I love!"

Asuka wiped her tears. "But Mari's right, Shinji wouldn't want to see me crying… I need to be strong for when he comes back… and maybe I can work up the nerve to ask him out… then maybe I'll find out if he likes me back…" Asuka smiled. "It'd be nice to find out that he likes me. But do I really deserve to be that happy? I've been so mean to people for so long… I can't possibly deserve the happiness I want…"

Asuka teared up again. "It's payback from the universe… for all the mean stuff I've done… it took the one thing that means the world to me… not my EVA or my stuff… but Shinji…" Asuka looked up at the ceiling. "If he comes back, I swear, I'll never be mean again… if the universe gives me back my baka… I'll atone for all the things I said about my half siblings and step mom… all the things I did to them… I just want Shinji back… please… please give me my baka Shinji back…"  
–––

Shinji was still in the nothingness. He didn't know how long he'd been there, or what had happened around him. He just floated there, bored out of his mind, hoping that someone would come to talk to him.

Shinji sighed. "Well… this sucks. I haven't talked to anybody since I got… well wherever the hell this is."

" _Why not talk to me?_ " A voice that Shinji recognized said.

"Not again…" Shinji said. "You're not Asuka!"

An apparition of Asuka in her school uniform appeared. " _Oh, so you recognize my voice, baka?_ " Asuka smiled. " _That's sweet of you…_ "

"Who are you?" Shinji asked.

" _I'm the Asuka in your mind, baka._ " Asuka said. " _The Asuka you dream about when you're lonely… the Asuka that you know will say I love you…_ "

"Why are you here?" Shinji asked.

" _Baka, you are so damn dense._ " Asuka said. " _I'm here to make you feel better. Don't you want to feel better? I won't try and trick you, I'm not Leliel…_ "

"Well, yeah." Shinji said. "But not this way… I don't want it to be this way…"

Asuka moved forward and hugged Shinji. " _Baka… you're so sweet. Instead of talking to me in your head, you should ask me out in real life. I bet you'll find the answer is the one you're looking for. Why don't you try it?_ "

"I'm afraid to ask her… you…" Shinji muttered. "She's not you, she doesn't like me."

" _Shinji, not everyone can be your fantasy girl._ " Asuka said. " _But if you don't ask her, or at least tell her how you feel, you'll regret it for the rest of your life._ "

"But…" Shinji said.

" _No… don't tell me that…_ " Asuka said. " _You have a real shot with the real me, you just need to get brave and take the chance._ "

"Are you sure that if I ask her, it'll work?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, I can't tell you that it'll work._ " Asuka said. " _But you have to try. You have to try and get back there to ask her._ "

"I don't know how to get back." Shinji said. "I'm trapped wherever here is."

" _You know where here is, Shinji…_ " Asuka said. " _You've seen this before. You know what happened to you inside Unit–01._ "

"No I don't, I was fighting in the Angel, and I ended up here!" Shinji shouted.

" _Shinji, you've seen it before…_ " Asuka said. " _The day your mom disappeared. Don't you remember? You've seen Unit–01 before too, that day… the day of the test._ "

"No, I don't remember!" Shinji shouted. "I don't want to remember!"

" _Shinji, you need to remember…_ " Asuka said. " _You have to… it's the only way you're getting out of here…_ "

"NO, I DON'T WANT TO!" Shinji shouted.

**Flashback**

**Naoko was monitoring her screen and continued to read out the pertinent data. "Link stabilization at 99% and holding… copy rate is at 25 GB/s… process is estimated to be 2% complete." Naoko reported. "Readings are stable… no change in the subject… hold on, there is a fluctuation in the A.T. Field strength of the subject and in the Core! The Core is trying to overpower the subject! SDU has been forcibly shut down by the Core, and its linking directly with the Link Tube!"**

**"Increase the EM stabilizers and ATF Modulators to compensate!" Gendo and Fuyutsuki shouted in unison.**

**"EM Stabilization now at 40%… ATF Modulators focused on lowering the Core's A.T. Field to acceptable levels… no response!" Naoko shouted.**

**"PUT THE DAMN THINGS TO OVERLOAD IF YOU HAVE TO, I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE HER! IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, CUT THE FUCKING POWER!" Gendo roared. "YUI!" Gendo called into the mic. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"**

**All Yui could hear in thee Link Tube however was static. "Gendo, what's going on, I'm feeling funny…" Yui said in a panicked voice. "Gendo? Can you hear me? Gendo?!" Yui started to sound increasingly frantic. "GENDO, HELP ME, PLEASE!" She screamed. "I was expecting this, but now that's it come, I don't want to go through with it, please someone help me!" Yui cried out.**

**"EM Stabilization and ATF Modulators increased to 250% output to compensate… no response… the subject's AT. Field is nearing the critical limit… it's past the point of no return! We can't save her…" Naoko said, doing her best to sound surprised. "Cutting the power to the Link Tube…" The large power cord attached to the Link Tube fired a retro rocket to eject, and fell loudly to the floor of the test chamber. "No effect… the Core is supplying enough power to complete the task!"**

**"Attempt emergency deactivation sequence Omega–055." Fuyutsuki said. "Now!"**

**"Initiating forced emergency ejection… command failed… it was rejected by the Link Tube…" Naoko said, a note of surprise in her voice.**

**Gendo cried out, banging his fists against the glass of the control room. "YUI!"**

**Inside the Link Tube, Yui had begun to calm down as she accepted her fate. She could feel herself begin to degrade into nothingness as her A.T. Field collapsed. "I should have thought this through better…" Yui said, seeing a code flash up on her HUD labeled "Omega–055" and a countdown clock. Yui looked at it and moved her fading hand towards the controls. "I'm too far gone to be saved, Gendo, Fuyutsuki, I'm sorry, but I can't stop what's already been put motion." She keyed in a code to deny access to the Link Tube by the control room before her hand dissolved into the LCL. "Goodbye."**

**In the control room, Gendo was beside himself "OVERRIDE THAT LOCKOUT, NOW!" Gendo screamed.**

**"I can't, Director, we've been cut off." Naoko replied.**

**"DAMN IT ALL, I'LL DO IT MYSELF! OUT OF MY WAY AKAGI!" Gendo roared as he moved to the control console.**

**However, as he did so there was a brilliant flash of light and then silence. The displays in the control room began to display "SIGNAL LOST." The control room went dead quiet, and everyone had a look of horror on their faces. Gendo fell to his knees and held his face in his hands. Shinji kept looking out the window of the control room, wondering where his mother was.**

**"Where's mommy?" Shinji asked. When he got no response from anyone, he spoke louder "WHERE IS MY MOMMY!" He screamed.**

**"She's gone, Shinji, she's gone…." Gendo replied hollowly as he got up and left the control room.**

**End Flashback**

Shinji was shaking and crying.

" _Shinji?_ " Asuka asked. " _Shinji, are you ok?_ "

"NO!" Shinji roared as he shook Asuka's apparition. "DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY MOTHER IS!"

" _I don't… I'm sorry…_ " Asuka said as she hugged Shinji again. " _But you do…_ "

"NO I DON'T!" Shinji shouted. "MY MOTHER'S DEAD, HOW COULD SHE BE ALIVE! I SAW HER DIE!"

Another figure showed up behind Asuka and stared at Shinji from the shadows. " _Because, I've been here all along._ "

Shinji started at the shadowy figure. "Who… who are you?"

" _Who do you think I am…_ " The figure said.

"Mother?" Shinji asked.

" _Hello, Shinji…_ " The figure said.

* * *

August 26, 2016 – NERV HQ

Gendo, Ritsuko, and Fuyutsuki were in Gendo's office. They were going over the final plans to deal with Shinji's recovery. And the other repairs going on around the Geofront. Gendo was sitting and staring intently at Ritsuko. Fuyutsuki was looking over the documents Ritsuko had brought with her, and he looked less than enthusiastic about what he was reading.

"How are the plans coming, Dr. Akagi." Gendo asked.

"Everything is almost in place." Ritsuko said. "We're rigging up the Entry Plug now with the equipment."

"Dr. Akagi, I've read your plans." Fuyutsuki said. "They seem awfully familiar."

"They are a modification of my mother's unsuccessful plans to recover Yui Ikari." Ritsuko said. "Whatever she used, it didn't work… I've… I've reworked the algorithms to isolate a soul's signal, and I have redesigned the A.T. Field Modulators for this operation."

"How did you redesign them?" Gendo asked. "Those modulators are quite good at what they do, Dr. Akagi."

"Not for this kind of recovery, that's what my mother got wrong. It was like she didn't want to recover her…" Ritsuko said. "Anyway… I have set up concentric rings around the Entry Plug. Coupling that with increasing the pressure of the LCL and hooking Unit–01 directly to the MAGI, we should be able to do it. "

"Not the MAGI." Gendo said. "Use EVE instead."

"Why would I use an outdated system?" Ritsuko asked.

"Having a fully dedicated system to run computations would be far more useful." Gendo said. "As I recall, EVE is a very powerful system on its own, it doesn't need to make any decisions, just run computations."

"Fine… but sir, what about the rest of the plan?"

"It appears that it should work." Fuyutsuki said. "The theory is sound, this all comes down to execution. Do you think it will work?"

"I honestly have no idea if it would work or not." Ritsuko said. "I read the reports about the last recovery attempt, and I wasn't exactly pleased with what happened. All I can say is my method is a vast improvement, I think it will work."

"Then we will have to trust your method, Dr. Akagi." Gendo said.

"So, what about the other Evangelions?" Fuyutsuki asked. "How are they coming along?"

"Well, other than the obvious issues of being in the middle of a recovery attempt, Unit–01 is fully armored again, and once the operation is complete, it will be combat ready."

"Unit–01 is to be pulled from active duty and kept in cold storage." Gendo said. "It has become too unpredictable to keep in active service."

"What's become too unpredictable?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Unit–01 and her pilot." Gendo said.

"Fine, sir, Unit–01 will be kept in cold storage, on standby in case of emergency." Ritsuko said. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, what about the other three Evangelions?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Unit–XP's mechanical limbs have been restored properly." Ritsuko explained. "It took some work, but they've been properly repaired. Its main body has been repaired as well, and the limbs are being reattached as we speak. Unit–02's arms and head have been reattached, its armor has been completely repaired, its combat ready. Unit–00 on the other hand… well, the head has to be completely rebuilt, and its armor was damaged pretty badly by the explosions. Unit–00 is about 75% complete, another few days and it'll be back online."

"What about Tokyo–3?" Gendo asked.

"The buildings have been reattached." Ritsuko said. "Thankfully they weren't damaged in the fall… but they were designed for such contingencies. The armor plating is proving a bit more difficult to repair. We have the ceiling of the Geofront repaired, and we're working on repouring the armor belts from the bottom up. We have belts twelve to twenty–five repaired, and we're working on completing the last eleven now. The surface of the city is being repaired mostly for the sake of appearances. The civilians have been lodging a lot of complaints, and several hundred employees have already evacuated their families due to the clear and present danger living in this city causes."

"Well, less civilians means that the fight's collateral damage will put less people in harm's way." Fuyutsuki said. "Perhaps we should set up a mandatory evacuation order in case the Angel attacks become more… devastating…"

"Yes, that would be for the best." Gendo said. "And Fuyutsuki, you've been in charge of the base repairs, give me an update."

"The pyramid has been half reconstructed. The damage to the main shaft and Central Dogma has been mostly rectified. Within the next month, we should be able to get the Main Command Center back online, and we should have repaired the Geofront's landscaping."

"Is the landscaping really relevant in the repairs?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, for the morale of the staff, if the grounds look normal, the staff will feel at ease." Fuyutsuki said.

"Fine, just make sure the necessary repairs are completed before the extraneous ones." Gendo said. "Other than that, I believe we're done here. Dr. Akagi, when will you be activating the recovery operation?"

"The 31st, Commander." Ritsuko replied.

"Good." Gendo said. "Get it done."

"Understood Commander." Ritsuko said as she left.

"Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "What are you hoping for from the recovery operation?"

"I expect that Yui will let Shinji come back." Gendo said. "We need Shinji for the next phase, for our endgame."

"Yes, but at what cost to him?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"There is no cost to him." Gendo said. "He will do anything to protect his friends, as we've seen the past few times, so if his friends are in danger, he will do whatever it takes to protect them."

"So by risking the girl's lives…" Fuyutsuki started.

"We get Shinji to carry out our plans." Gendo said.

* * *

August 31, 2016 – NERV HQ

Unit–01 was in the Cage. It was in a prone position, and was attached directly to a computer system. The Entry Plug itself was ejected almost all the way, and was surrounded by several thick, metal rings. The room had been mostly cleared of personnel, but several people were still inside, hiding from the view of the control room. Asuka, Mari, and Rei were all standing

Asuka, Mari and Rei were all in the Cage, standing away from each other, their focus directed to Unit–01's exposed Entry Plug.

Rei was looking straight at the Entry Plug from its left side. She had a worried look on her face, and stared at Unit–01 intently. Rei bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I… I want my brother back. Please, Unit–01, give him back to us."

Asuka was standing high above Unit–01 and staring sullenly at the Entry Plug. "Shinji…" Asuka muttered. "I'm sorry… if you care about me at all… you'll come back… I just hope you have the same feelings for me that I do for you."

Mari was standing level with Unit–01's face. She stared directly at its eyes and looked angrily at the restrained Evangelion.

"Yui… you better let him come back." Mari said sternly. "He's needed here… he has a life here, don't keep him away too much longer… please."

" _The recovery operation will commence in five minutes._ " Maya said over the intercom.

"Come on, let this work…" All three girls mumbled to themselves.

Shinji was staring at his mother's figure while an apparition of Asuka was hugging him.

"Mother?" Shinji asked.

" _Yes, Shinji, it's me._ " Yui said.

"How… how are you here?" Shinji asked.

" _You should know._ " Yui said. " _You saw what happened, didn't you?_ "

"Wait… do you mean the day you died?" Shinji asked.

" _Yes, Shinji…_ " Yui said. " _I was absorbed by the Core of Unit–01… I didn't die, I was trapped in here. I…_ "

"You what?" Shinji asked. "How?"

" _I can't tell you that quite yet, Shinji._ " Yui said. " _But I can tell you a few things. That girl you're holding… she's out there, blaming herself that you're in here._ "

"Wait… Asuka's blaming herself?" Shinji asked as the Asuka he was holding disappeared. "Why would she do that?"

" _Because she probably likes you._ " Yui said. " _You've clearly made an impression on her._ "

"No I haven't…" Shinji said. "She only tolerates me."

" _Well, Shinji…_ " Yui said. " _I guess me being around hasn't helped you very much… I'm so sorry sweetheart…_ "

"Why, it's not your fault you're in here." Shinji said.

Yui sifted slightly. " _Well, anyway, Shinji, do you want to go back? Your three friends are waiting… they are very worried about you…_ "

"Of course I do…" Shinji said. "Wait, who?"

" _Rei, Mari, and Asuka._ " Yui said. "Who else?"

"How do you know all their names?" Shinji asked.

" _I know all about your life Shinji… I learned it by being close to you… I could you're your thoughts. Shinji… the other thing I have to tell you is…_ " Yui said. " _I am the one inside of Unit–01. The soul you connect to is me. That's what you saw that day… me becoming the soul inside of Unit–01's Core._ "

"Wait… you're the warm feeling I have when I'm inside the Entry Plug." Shinji said. "That's why I feel so safe… you're there with me… you're the one that's been helping me all this time…"

" _Good job, Shinji…_ " Yui said. " _I knew you'd figure it out._ "

"So… what does that mean?" Shinji asked.

" _That means every time you get into Unit–01, all you have to do is ask me for help if you're in trouble, and I'll be there to help you…_ "

"Wait… you'll help me?" Shinji asked. "Haven't you done enough already? I mean, you helped me defeat three Angels."

" _Well, that last one…_ " Yui said. " _I only gave you the power… you killed the Fourteenth Angel yourself. If you ever need that kind of help again, all you have to do is ask._ " Yui stepped forward and hugged her son tightly. " _Now, are you ready to go back home to everyone who cares about you?_ "

"Well, yeah… you said they're all worried about me." Shinji said. "Mom… I have one question… if you're the soul I connect to, who do the others connect to?"

" _Well, the only one I know about is Unit–02… and that has Asuka's mother's soul in there… Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu… she's doing the same thing I am… but Asuka isn't as open as you are. She's in need of some help, Shinji. When you get back young man, you need to tell her how you feel about her._ "

"But… I don't know how she feels about me." Shinji said.

" _Shinji… I don't want to interfere or anything, but considering she seems to be crying as she looks at Unit–01, I think she's in love with you._ "

"How do you know?" Shinji asked.

" _Mothers know these things._ " Yui said. " _Now get back there and tell her you love her._ "

"Mom, I'm going back… but I'm not ready to tell her yet." Shinji said. "She'll probably be mad that I haven't cooked for her since I've been gone."

" _Oh, Shinji…_ " Yui said. " _I'll see you the next time they have an activation test._ "

"Bye mom…" Shinji said.

" _Oh, and Shinji… keep the secret about the souls in the EVAs a secret._ " Yui said. " _No one needs to know what you learned._ "

"I promise, mom." Shinji said as he hugged his mother one last time. "Goodbye…"

" _No, Shinji… it's until next time…_ " Yui said as a flash a light enveloped the both of them.

–––

Misato was standing behind Ritsuko and Maya. They were preparing for the recovery operation to begin.

"Maya, prep the ATF Modulators." Ritsuko said. "And set the EM Field to max. How's Unit–01 doing?"

"Right." Maya said. "Unit–01 is normal… wait… power spike!" Maya shouted. "Unit–01 is coming online!"

"What?!" Ritsuko shouted.

"Shinji!" Misato said as she ran from the room.

–––

The three girls all felt the room start to shake. They all looked up to see Unit–01 glowing. The Entry Plug opened, and the LCL spilled out, along with a naked figure who fell to the floor with a wet thud.

"SHINJI!" Asuka shouted happily.

"PUPPY!" Mari screamed exuberantly.

"Brother…" Rei mumbled.

The three of them ran down and met Misato on the way. Shinji was laying naked, face down in a pool of LCL. He was unconscious and not moving, which caused a lot of concern for everyone.

"Medics!" Misato shouted.

"Well, that's definably Shinji." Mari said.

"How the hell can you tell?" Misato asked. "He's facedown!"

"That cute little ass of his." Mari said. "It's hard to forget…"

"Jesus Christ, four eyes!" Asuka said. "You sound wetter than the floor!"

"No… I'm not _that_ wet." Mari said.

"Is this really the time for sexual banter?" Rei asked. "Shinji is unconscious on the floor. Can this wait until later?"

"Well, a lot of things can wait till later." Mari said.

"I know what I said, Mari." Rei replied. "But Shinji is my main concern right now." Rei reached down and felt Shinji's wrist. "He is alive, his pulse is weak."

"Thank whoever…" Asuka said.

"Yeah, but how did he come back?" Misato asked. "Ritsuko didn't even start the test."

"It's just a miracle…" Mari said. 'Thanks Yui…' Mari thought.

"Yeah, some kind of miracle…" Misato said. "Did the EVA do this?"

"We're not the experts here…" Asuka said. "That bleach bottle blonde up there should have some answers rattling around that empty head of hers."

"Asuka…" Misato said.

"What?" Asuka said. "Like I said anything everyone else wasn't thinking already…"

"Yeah, I thought it." Mari said. "But with more swear words, like cunt or asshole."

"I have to agree with Asuka"

The medics arrived and put Shinji onto a combat stretcher. "Hey, where are you taking him?" Misato asked.

"Medical Wing, Colonel." The medic said. "Where else?"

"Oh, yeah, right…" Misato said. "Girls, go with him, I have to ask Ritsuko some questions…"

Asuka, and Rei followed the medics, and Mari hung back. "Just, uh… don't kill her."

–––

Misato cornered Ritsuko in the control room after everyone had left.

"What the hell was that?!" Misato asked. "He came back without you doing anything?"

"I have no idea, Misato." Ritsuko said. "Unit–01 did what it always does, it did something it wasn't supposed to."

"So, Unit–01 did this?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… that's my initial guess." Ritsuko said. "I have to review the data for the Commander, so if you'll excuse me…"

Misato blocked her path. "You're not getting away from me that easily." Misato said. "You better not be lying to me again."

"No, I honestly have no idea what happened in there." Ritsuko said. "But I'm glad he's back safe and sound."

"Yeah, so am I." Misato said. "Just find out what happened in there, Ritsuko, and no more lies, got it?"

"Yeah, whatever…" Ritsuko mumbled as Misato walked out. "I don't know how to quantify an out of control EVA and its resident soul fucking things up."

–––

The girls were all sitting in Shinji's hospital room. Shinji was resting comfortably, and was otherwise unaware that he had returned.

"Well, at least he's ok." Mari said.

"Yes…" Rei said. "Shinji is once again safe."

Mari looked at Asuka, who was still feeling down. "Hey, princess, why are you so quiet, he's back. He's all safe and sound."

"I couldn't do anything to help…" Asuka said. "But I'm glad he's back…"

"I bet you are." Mari said. "So, are you going to tell them?"

"What does Asuka need to tell him?" Rei asked. "Is it important?"

"Yeah, kinda blueberry." Mari said. "But it's personal, so don't ask her about it."

"I see…" Rei said. "So, Asuka is in love Shinji."

"What?!" Asuka said. "Four eyes, you told!"

"No… no I didn't!" Mari said.

"Asuka, I figured it out all on my own." Rei said. "I am not as naïve as everyone thinks I am. Shinji has explained many things to me"

"So, how long have you known?" Asuka asked.

"Definitively…" Rei said. "Not until a moment ago… however I have had my suspicions since the Twelfth Angel. Your reaction was most heartbreaking to watch."

"So… you figured it out…" Asuka said sullenly. "Why didn't you tell Shinji?"

"It is not my business to interfere in personal matters of the heart." Rei said.

"Thanks, Rei…" Asuka said. "I appreciate it."

"I do have one question though…" Rei said. "Why haven't you told Shinji yet?"

"I… I'm not good enough for him." Asuka said.

"Yes you are, Asuka." Rei said. "You are a smart, beautiful girl, I am sure Shinji will be happy if you ask him out."

"Great… now wundergirl is giving me dating advice." Asuka said. "Just wonderful…"

"Hey, listen to her, princess… she's telling you the truth." Mari said. "And… wow, blueberry, we really don't give you enough credit about things."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 73.6% (No Change)  
Mari – 67.1% (-2.5%)  
Asuka – 63.8% (-7.9%)  
Rei – 62.6% (-4.5%)

Well, there you have it, a chapter that throws out a lot of exposition on things. Shinji wasn't featured heavily, mostly because he's in a far better place than he was in the series. So, his journey of self–discovery is basically changed to him talking to his inner Asuka, and finding out his mother is inside Unit–01.

As for everyone else, they go through some stuff, mostly dealing with Shinji being gone, but the lack of Shinji shows that everyone else (save for Hikari and Toji) are somewhat dependent on him, and with him being gone for a month, cracks start to show. Especially if you notice how far Asuka's sync level has dropped the past few chapters. The beginning of the steep and slippery slope in her sync scores, yet the reason has changed to her being concerned she's failed Shinji.

Toji is also mostly ok. He's still in recovery, but still has all his limbs, and he won't be losing any of them. And Kensuke doesn't have it so easy either, with all his friends being gone and not around.

The next chapter… it's not a happy one. Arael is coming up, followed up by Armisael, so there will be a lot of painful moments coming up, be ready.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	10. Violated; Arael Strikes

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 10 – Violated; Arael Strikes  
September 4, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Mari and Asuka were sitting and waiting patiently in the messy apartment. Rei was sitting with them, and they were all looking at the mess. Mari had just hung up the phone and was looking over at a very confused and worried Asuka and Rei.

"Was that Misato?" Asuka asked.

"Yep…" Mari said. "Shinji's coming home."

"Good." Rei said. "It is a shame they kicked us out of the Medical Wing."

"Yeah, I guess we took too much time to make sure he was ok." Asuka said. "Guess they didn't like that."

"I think they didn't like you yelling at the nurses when they'd check on Shinji." Mari said. "Even though it was super cute you didn't want him getting manhandled by those guys."

Asuka blushed. "Well, they were always so rough on him…"

"Yeah, well, look at this place." Mari said. "I don't want Shinji to come back to this… he left it so clean…"

"Are you suggesting we clean up after ourselves?" Asuka asked.

"That is the only logical thing to do." Rei said. "Do you know where Shinji keeps the cleaning supplies?"

"Uh… I think they're in the… kitchen?" Mari said.

"Ok, so we will clean the apartment." Rei said. "Shinji will be happy to see that things are normal and that you didn't ruin the place in his absence."

"Yeah… well, we only have a few hours." Mari said. "Misato said they were checking him over one last time, and that Ritsuko was doing a check on his something waveform thingy."

"So, she'll hold him for a while, eh?" Asuka said. "I feel sorry for him, but at least we have some time to clean this mess we made."

"Yeah, but we're not cleaning Misato's room." Mari said. "That's her problem… but Shinji's room… we have to fix that."

"Why do you have to clean Shinji's room?" Rei asked. "He has been gone for a month."

"We've been sleeping in there blueberry." Mari said.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"We missed him, Rei, simple as that." Asuka said. "Now let's get to cleaning."

"Yeah, let's start in the kitchen." Mari said. "It's the worst."

–––

Misato pulled up roughly in her car. Shinji was glad that the ride was over, and staggered out of the car shakily.

"Misato… I told you to drive slow…" Shinji said.

"What, these guys have been waiting a month for you to get back." Misato said.

"Yeah, well killing me to save a few minutes probably isn't what they had in mind." Shinji said. "So, next time, you don't get to drive me home from the hospital."

"Why not?" Misato asked.

"Because you drive recklessly." Shinji said. "I'm lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, that's right, be ungrateful…" Misato muttered.

"I'm the ungrateful one?" Shinji asked. "I bet the apartment looks like a warzone if I've been gone for a month."

"You're awfully feisty after coming out of there." Misato said. "You've changed a bit…"

"Nope… I'm the same old Shinji, Misato." Shinji said. "You're just imagining things."

"Sure…" Misato said. "Come on, I bet their clawing at the walls waiting for you."

Misato and Shinji took the elevator upstairs. Shinji walked nervously towards the door, and Misato unlocked it for him. Shinji walked inside and announced his arrival.

"Tadaima…" Shinji said.

"Hey, I know that voice…" Mari said from around the corner. "The puppy's home!"

"Shinji!" Asuka shouted.

Mari and Asuka came running out of the kitchen and before Shinji could do anything, he was on the floor underneath both girls who were mercilessly hugging him.

"Hi guys…" Shinji said meekly as he was squeezed to death. "I'm sorry I worried you all so much…"

"You should be baka!" Asuka said. "That's twice you've pulled this shit! I don't like it!"

"Yeah, you have to stop taking such reckless risks, puppy!" Mari said. "Oh, I forgot how cuddly you were!"

"Will you two let him up?" Rei asked. "You are only going to injure him further…"

Asuka and Mari looked at each other. The let go of Shinji and slowly stood up. They both reached out a hand and helped Shinji to his feet. Rei then stepped forward and hugged Shinji properly, without knocking him on his ass.

"I am glad you are ok." Rei said gladly. "But you are not allowed to do that again."

"Rei…" Shinji said. "What are you talking about?"

"Worrying us all." Rei said bluntly. "You are not allowed to do that again."

"Yeah, tell him how it is blueberry." Mari said.

"Will you guys let him sit down?" Misato said. "He just got out of the hospital, let him breathe…"

"You mean like you did when you almost fractured my ribs?" Shinji said. "Don't judge them…"

"Shinji, you're such a jerk!" Misato said.

"Hey, leave him alone, miso…" Mari said sarcastically. "He just got out of the hospital."

"Yeah, yeah…" Misato said. "Ok, Shinji, don't be too shocked at the mess… you've been gone a while so… uh… it's not how you left it…"

"I kinda figured…" Shinji said.

Everyone made it into the kitchen, and Shinji went slack jawed. Shinji looked around and everything was spotless, there wasn't any trash on the floor or the table. Shinji walked into the living room to see the same scene, he walked over to the bathroom which was also spotless. He walked past Asuka and Mari's room and saw that even it was clean, and that his own room was immaculate. Shinji, out of curiosity went to Misato's room and saw that it was still an utter disaster.

"Well, it's nice to see some things don't change…" Shinji said. "So… did you guys clean up before I got back?"

"Yeah…" Asuka said. "Mari thought it would be nice…"

"No, Asuka, it was your idea, take your credit." Rei said.

"Yeah, princess, you suggested it." Mari said. "She wanted to do something nice for you, puppy. You should thank her properly."

Shinji walked forward and hugged Asuka. "Thanks, Asuka… that was really sweet of you to suggest that…"

Asuka blushed a brighter red than her hair. "You're welcome baka…"

"So, were you guys worried about me?" Shinji asked.

"Idiot!" Asuka said, pushing Shinji away.

"Why do you ask stupid questions?" Mari said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"We were all very concerned for your safety, Shinji." Rei said. "I was very worried about you, and Asuka and Mari were so worried, they slept in your room while you were… uh… trapped."

"Wait…" Shinji said. "You guys did what?"

"Oh… uh… when I got out of the hospital, I shut myself in your room…" Asuka said. "I… I was…"

"She was sad, puppy." Mari said. "I was too… that's why you can't be so reckless in the future. Otherwise we're not cleaning the tears off your pillow."

"What tears?" Shinji asked.

"They cried, Shinji." Rei said. "I did too."

"Oh…" Shinji said. "Sorry…"

"Yeah, you should be." Asuka said. "I don't like crying…"

"Neither do I…" Mari said. "It makes me look unattractive."

"Yeah, puffy eyes…" Asuka said.

"And runny noses…" Mari added.

"Ok, I get it…" Shinji said. "I promise I'll be more careful with our highly deadly job."

"You better stick to that, puppy." Mari said.

"Or else." Asuka said.

"So, do you want some dinner?" Mari asked. "You look hungry."

"I am… hospital food is kinda mushy…" Shinji said. "Oh god… please don't cook…"

"No, no." Asuka said. "We've gotten really good at ordering take out. We've found a few good places to eat."

"Or we could go to the karaoke bar?" Mari said.

Asuka's face fell when Mari suggested that and Shinji noticed. "No, let's just order whatever Asuka wants to have." Shinji said.

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, you always tell me we don't have enough European food… I thought it would be a nice treat for you." Shinji said. "That, and sausage sounds really good right now…"

Asuka hugged Shinji tightly. "Thanks Shinji…" Asuka kissed Shinji on the cheek. "I'm just glad you're back safe and sound…"

* * *

September 5, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji, Mari, and Asuka arrived at school for the first time in over a month. As they walked up the school's main path, they saw Rei ahead of them. As they walked, all eyes were on them, and it was like nothing else mattered other than the four Evangelion pilots' return. No one knew what had happened the previous month, other than that two Angels attacked in quick succession, keeping them evacuated from Tokyo–3 for two weeks.

Shinji and the others then met up with a very tired looking Hikari, who had spent the entire weekend in the hospital with her boyfriend, and his sister.

"So… are you ok?" Mari asked.

"Just tired." Hikari said as she yawned.

Rei pulled out three cans of canned coffee and handed them to Hikari. "Drink these, and you will stay awake for some time." Rei said.

"Thanks, Rei…" Hikari said. "Why did you have these?"

"I drink coffee so I do not fall asleep during the teacher's boring pontifications." Rei said. "But today, your need to stay alert is far greater than mine."

"Uh… how is Toji?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, he's good." Hikari said. "He should be out in a few weeks, maybe less." Hikari stared at Shinji. "He also insists that you're not at fault for what happened to him, Shinji… Kaji sowed us everything, and he told us what you did to your father. Toji can't blame you, I think you did everything you could…"

"No… I should have…" Shinji muttered.

"Shut up, Shinji." Hikari said as she hugged him tightly. "Now, believe me when I tell you this, you didn't do anything wrong… ok?"

"Alright." Shinji said.

"Well, come on, let's go inside and see if Kensuke's here yet." Hikari said. "I bet he's missed us the last few weeks."

"Wait, he's been here all alone?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, after Misato and Kaji got me into NERV, I haven't really been to school since…" Hikari said. "I was too worried about Toji to focus on school…"

"You really love that moron don't you?" Asuka asked.

"As my best friend, you should already know the answer to that." Hikari said.

The group walked inside and up to the classroom. Shinji felt weird about being back in school after having missed so much of it. They walked into the classroom to an unhappy sight. Kensuke was being bugged by two kids that weren't from their class. One of the kids had Kensuke's camera while the other was shoving Kensuke around.

"Hey, come on, that thing's expensive!" Kensuke said.

"Who cares?" One kid said. "You're just a fucking nerd, no one in here is going to stop this, your class rep is MIA, and you're only other protection comes from those cool friends of yours and that asshole Suzuhara."

"Yeah, we wouldn't mess with them, but you, you're no threat." The other one said. "You're just some pussy ass bitch."

"Son of a bitch!" Mari shouted.

"Get away from him!" Hikari shouted.

The two boys turned around to see both Mari an Asuka advancing on them, and they got scared. However, before Asuka or Mari could get close, Shinji ha charged across the room and decked the boy shoving Kensuke and knocked him to the ground.

"Shinji!" Hikari shouted.

"You, give him the camera back." Shinji said coldly to the other boy.

"Hey, asshole, you deaf?!" Asuka shouted. "Do as he says!"

"Yeah…" The boy with the camera said. "Here, nerd."

"Hey, enough of that shit!" Shinji said as he grabbed the boy by the shirt. "If you ever bother my friend again, I'll make sure your children regret your poor decision."

"Yeah… I got it…" The boy said.

"Now get your friend and get the hell out of here." Asuka said.

The boy picked the other boy up off the floor and they ran out of the room.

"Kensuke, who were those guys?" Hikari asked. "I know they weren't from our class…"

"Class 2–D I think." Kensuke said. "They've been bothering me for a few weeks now."

"Why?" Mari asked.

"Because you guys weren't here…" Kensuke said sullenly.

"Wait, so that's it really?" Asuka said. "We weren't here and they decided to do this?"

"Yeah, they basically said I was an easy target." Kensuke said. "They weren't wrong."

"Hey, we're back now, so don't worry so much, ok?" Mari said.

"Yeah, we didn't know this kind of stuff would happen if we weren't here." Asuka said.

"Well, I'm just glad it's over for now." Kensuke said.

"No, it's over." Shinji said.

"How do you know?" Kensuke asked.

"Because they said they'd never mess with us." Hikari said.

"Yeah, those assholes should be scared." Asuka said.

"Those are the same boys who called me names." Rei said. "They are quite rude."

"I knew I recognized them from somewhere…" Hikari said.

"So, Kensuke…" Shinji said. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, they didn't break anything." Kensuke said. "I just wish you guys had been here last week…"

"Yeah, well, uh…" Mari said.

"We were in no condition to attend school." Rei said.

"Well, I'm just glad you're all back…" Kensuke said. "Well, I'm guessing Toji needs more time to recover, right?"

"Yeah, he'll be back in a few weeks." Hikari said. "He and Sakura say hi by the way."

"They do?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, they miss your visits, but they know you're not allowed into NERV HQ." Hikari said. "So, they'll see you when they get out."

"Well, after Shinji's accident…" Kensuke said nervously. "I'm not exactly thrilled about being near an Evangelion…"

"Holy shit…" Mari said. "You're not hard for the EVAs now?"

Kensuke glared at her. "No… not after Hikari explained everything that happened. I just wish Unit–03 didn't have Toji in it… but at least you guys were there to keep him safe…"

"So, you'll stop bugging us about getting in one?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, but I still want to know what's going on…" Kensuke said. "I'm haven't completely lost my taste for NERV intel."

"Small victories." Mari said.

"Well, I do have a question." Asuka asked. "Shinji, where did that punch come from?"

"Oh, that…" Shinji said. "I just hate bullies."

"Well, you're usually so mellow." Mari said. "I'm a little concerned."

"Remember how I said I don't like people hurting my friends?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… you might have mentioned that once or twice." Asuka said

"During both of the last two Angel battles actually." Rei said.

"Well… that applies in and out of the EVA." Shinji said.

"Oh…" Asuka said.

"Still, Shinji, don't go around decking people." Hikari said. "Even if it was a great punch."

"And thanks, Shinji." Kensuke said.

"For what?" Shinji asked.

"For doing that." Kensuke said.

"Like I said, Kensuke." Shinji said. "I would do that for any of my friends."

"Well, I guess we know not to piss Shinji off now." Mari joked.

"Why is that?" Rei asked.

"Cause he can lay us out with one punch, man." Mari said.

"Well, we will simply have to be careful then." Rei said. "But we should take our seats."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"I think she meant that…" Kensuke said.

"Wow, Rei, that's impressive." Shinji said.

"Yeah, like you have a sixth sense." Asuka said.

"Thank you, Shinji." Rei said. "Thank you, Asuka."

"Get to your desks." Hikari said. "Don't fail me on my first day back."

"We won't, Hikari." Shinji said. "Don't worry."

"Yeah, don't get your thong in a twist." Mari said.

"Excuse me?" Hikari asked.

"I said thong, freckles." Mari said. "Am I wrong?"

"Yes you're wrong, I hate those things." Hikari said. "But enough about that nonsense, sit the hell down!"

"Fine, relax…" Mari said. "And now onto business as usual…" Mari muttered as Nebukawa no Sensei walked in.

"I can't say I missed this…" Shinji muttered.

"Hey, if you get absorbed into a Core again, just take me with you…" Asuka muttered. "It's better than this hell hole…"

"Oh, be quiet you guys, it's not so bad…" Hikari said quietly as she stood up and put on her sternest looking face. "Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari said authoritatively.

* * *

September 9, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Shinji was walking to the Medical Wing. He had decided to see how Toji was. He had taken a lot of convincing from Asuka, Mari, Hikari, Rei, and Misato, not to mention Kaji that Toji wasn't the least bit mad at him. So, after a routine activation test with Unit–01, Shinji decided to see how he was doing. He found a door with the last name "Suzuhara" on it and went inside. However, Shinji had chosen the wrong room and instead found Sakura lying in bed staring out the window. She looked over when she heard the footsteps and lit up upon seeing who it was.

"Shinji!" Sakura said. "You're here!"

"Hi, Sakura." Shinji said meekly. "How have you been?"

"Better than you, I bet." Sakura said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, did they all tell you I didn't know?" Sakura asked.

Shinji played dumb. "Know what, Sakura?"

"That you got sucked into your Evangelion, silly." Sakura said.

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, don't worry, after you came back Toji explained everything to me. They rolled me into his room to see him." Sakura explained. "He told me how he got hurt, and how you saved him and got thrown out by your dad and everything, and then that next Angel, he told me how you fought it so hard, you pushed yourself too far and got trapped or something…"

"Yeah, that's the long and the short of it." Shinji said. "Why did he tell you?"

"Oh, once you were alright, he didn't see a need to lie to me anymore." Sakura said. "So when I went to see him after you got released, he told me all of it. Showed me the footage of your fight with him too. You really do care a lot about people, don't you?"

"Yeah, I… I do." Shinji said.

"Well come here." Sakura said.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Cause I said so." Sakura said.

"Ok…" Shinji said as he nervously walked over to Sakura's bed.

"Lean closer." Sakura said.

Shinji sighed and did as he was asked, and Sakura kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Shinji asked.

"Well, you saved my life, and you save Toji's life twice…" Sakura said happily. "I'm just trying to say thank you the best way I know how. Am I not cute enough to kiss you or something?"

"No, it's not that… you're cute…" Shinji stammered. "I… uh…"

"Is it about Asuka?" Sakura asked.

"No… wait… what?!" Shinji asked.

"Did you really think Hikari wouldn't tell me about that?" Sakura asked.

"I assumed she wouldn't mention it to anyone…" Shinji said.

"Well, have you asked her out yet?" Sakura asked.

"No… I'm not…" Shinji said. "I'm not ready."

"Why not?" Sakura asked.

"I…" Shinji said. "I just don't think it's the right time."

"Well, I can't tell you you're wrong, even though you are." Sakura said. "But, do you really want to keep things the way they are and lose out on the chance to ask her?"

"No, but…" Shinji said.

"No buts, Shinji Ikari." Sakura said. "I know you think waiting is the best idea, but you don't want it to be too late when you finally think the time is perfect."

"So, what should I say?" Shinji asked.

"Ok, you do love her right?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, I do love her." Shinji said.

"Then when you tell her, make sure she's in a good mood, and then you just speak from the heart." Sakura said. "You got it?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Good, now lean in again." Sakura said.

Shinji leaned in again and got another kiss from Sakura.

"Ok, what was that one for?" Shinji asked.

"For good luck." Sakura said. "You two will make a cute couple. Trust me."

"For some reason, I do…" Shinji said.

"Good, now go see Toji." Sakura said. "He wants to say thank you too."

"I hope he says it differently than you do." Shinji said sarcastically.

"Ah… now I know why he considers you a friend." Sakura said.

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, you two are a lot alike actually." Sakura said. "Both kind and compassionate people. He must have seen that in you the day you took him into the Entry Plug."

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Well, it's only a guess." Sakura said. "But enough talking about him, go see him."

"Alright." Shinji said. "I'll come by and see you later, ok?"

"You don't have to tell me, Shinji." Sakura said. "You have a good heart, you wouldn't leave me here alone."

Shinji smiled and left Sakura's room to find Toji's. Toji's room was several rooms down the hall, and the door was open. Shinji walked inside nervously and Toji looked over and saw him.

"Shinji!" Toji said happily. "Well, don't stand there like a lump, get over here!"

Shinji walked over to the beaming Toji.

"So, uh, how are you?" Shinji asked.

"I could be worse." Toji said. "If you hadn't overridden that system, I could've died."

"Don't remind me…" Shinji said.

"Hey, don't be so glum." Toji said. "You saved my ass from that freak."

"Yeah, I just wish I had done something sooner." Shinji said. "I could have helped you avoid getting hurt."

"No, don't start second guessing yourself." Toji said. "You didn't want to hurt me, I get that, but when it mattered, you did what you had to do."

"So, you're not mad?" Shinji asked. "About any of that?"

"Nah… I made my choice." Toji said. "I knew from your stories those things were dangerous. But I did it for my sister, kinda like you do it to protect your friends."

"So…" Shinji said.

"So, it's not your fault." Toji said. "Plain and simple."

"Why would you say that?" Shinji asked.

"Cause it's not your fault, Shinji." Toji said. "You saved me, and then you took out your anger on the base and your dad, I'm actually kinda impressed you can get that angry."

"Well, you got hurt, and I was pissed my dad made me hurt my friend." Shinji said. "So, I took out my anger on him."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Toji said. "I don't know how many times I gotta say it, but you saved my life, Shinji. Don't be down on yourself. I would make the same choice to get my sister the best medical care ever, and I bet things would have gone the same way if it happened again."

"I don't know…" Shinji said. "I mean, if Mari or Hikari weren't my good friends, and if we didn't have a strong friendship… I don't know what would have happened…"

"Well, I probably would have gotten it a lot worse than I did." Toji said. "But I didn't, so the what ifs don't mean shit."

"Well, I'm just glad you're ok." Shinji said.

"Yeah, and I'm glad your dumb ass is back here too." Toji said. "You pull off a lot of funky shit in that EVA of yours."

"Well, I guess I'm just lucky like Kaji says." Shinji said.

"Well, I'm glad your dumb luck protects the rest of us." Toji said. "But I have to ask you something…"

"Yeah, what is it?" Shinji asked.

"When you were captured by that Angel…" Toji said. "Did it… uh… talk to you or anything?"

"Uh…" Shinji said. "Yeah… it tried to make me feel like I was… like I was nothing. It tried to keep me there to keep it company."

"Yeah, mine wasn't like that…" Toji said. "It told me that I was stupid, and it tortured me… that's where most of my injuries came from… the Angel invading my body."

"So… did yours have a name?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Toji shivered. "It called itself Bardiel…" Toji looked at Shinji. "Did yours?"

"Leliel…" Shinji said.

"So they actually have names…" Toji said. "Do you think they all had names?"

"I do… I just wish I knew what they were." Shinji said.

"Why?" Toji asked.

"Well, we should be able to known the names of all the Angels." Shinji said. "That way we won't be afraid of them anymore."

"Huh?" Toji asked.

"Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Shinji said. "Knowing their names makes them less scary…"

"Isn't that from some book?" Toji asked.

"Probably." Shinji said. "But what it says is true."

"Well, they're still kinda scary." Toji said. "I mean, they can level a city, can't they?"

"So can the EVAs." Shinji said. "The problem is we have to protect the city, and the Angels just have to destroy everything they see. That's why we're at a disadvantage."

"So, what will knowing their names change?" Toji asked.

"Well, I'll know what to call them as I kill them." Shinji said.

"That's a little dark…" Toji said. "But I get it now."

"Yeah, I know it's a little weird, but I want to tell them all to go back to hell." Shinji said. "I just want all this to end… I want to be a normal teenager again."

"Well, I think that option's kinda gone." Toji said. "You're a hero now, and so are the others… you're kinda stuck with that forever."

"Well, it still doesn't mean I can't wish for it." Shinji said.

"Well, kill the other Angels, then maybe you'll live that normal life again." Toji said.

"Yeah, that's the hope." Shinji said as Toji yawned loudly. "You alright?" Shinji asked.

"Just tired, Shinji." Toji said. "Haven't slept in a few days."

"So, do you want to just sleep?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, I'll sleep if you can promise me you won't beat yourself up over me getting hurt." Toji said. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I get it." Shinji said. "It's not my fault. Your sister and everyone else has been telling me the same thing, but…"

"You're too stubborn to listen to reason." Toji said. "I can understand that."

"How can you understand that?" Shinji asked.

"Cause I like blaming myself for shit that's not my fault either." Toji said. "So don't worry about it anymore."

"I won't…" Shinji smiled. "Thanks Toji."

"No problem pal." Toji said. "Now get out of here, I'm sleepy."

"Yeah, yeah." Shinji said. "I'm going."

* * *

September 12, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

"Baka, Shinji…" Asuka muttered as she walked into the house.

It had been a week since Shinji came home from the hospital. Shinji had gotten back to his routine as if he hadn't left, which annoyed Asuka considerably. She had been worried about him for a month, and he acted as though he was only gone for a few hours. Seeing as Mari was over at Rei's and Misato was at work, so Asuka decided that she should confront him about how stupid he was being by acting like nothing had happened. So, as Shinji was picking up the living room, Asuka crept up and startled him.

"Shinji, we need to talk." Asuka said.

"About what, Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"About you." Asuka said.

"Why?" Shinji asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, there is." Asuka said. "You're acting too normal!"

Shinji stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you acting normal!" Asuka said emphatically. "Why are you acting normal, baka?!"

"Asuka, you're not making any sense…" Shinji said.

"I mean you were inside of your EVA for an entire month, and you come out like nothing fucking happened!" Asuka shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing, Asuka!" Shinji said. "Why should I have changed or something?" Shinji asked. "Should I have come out muttering nonsense?"

"No, you just don't seem to care you had some people fucking worried sick about you!" Asuka shouted. "Like everything we went through while you were gone means nothing!"

"What are you talking about Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"This!" Asuka pointed to him cleaning. "You cleaning up like everything is normal!"

"Well, isn't everything normal?" Shinji asked. "We still have to fight Angels, and we have to pilot the Evangelions. What's changed?"

Asuka stared at Shinji. "What's changed?!" Asuka shouted. "What are you, stupid or something?!"

"No, Asuka, I'm not!" Shinji shouted back. "I'm not even sure why you're yelling at me!"

"I'm yelling at you for not apologizing about making me worry about you!" Asuka shouted.

"What…?" Shinji asked.

"You went away!" Asuka shouted. "You didn't even think about what you did and how it would affect us! What if you didn't come back?! Should we have fought without you?!"

"Asuka…" Shinji said.

"What?!" Asuka shouted. "Why did you have to disappear again!"

"It wasn't intentional, Asuka!" Shinji said emphatically. "It just happened!"

"Why?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Asuka, what do you want from me?!" Shinji asked as he stood up and faced her head on.

"I want you to apologize for making me worry about you!" Asuka screamed.

"For what, saving everyone again?!" Shinji shouted. "Or for almost dying again because of that stupid fucking machine?!"

"No, none of that shit!" Asuka shouted. "I want an apology for pushing yourself too fucking far and leaving us without a way to kill an Angel! We can't do anything without you! I can't do anything without you, you stupid fucking idiot!"

"Asuka…" Shinji muttered as he hugged Asuka. "I'm sorry… I didn't know it would happen… I just wanted to protect you guys… I didn't mean to worry you…"

"Well you did!" Asuka shouted as she started to cry on Shinji's shoulder. "I thought you were never coming back! I didn't… I thought… I thought that it was my fault… cause I… I couldn't kill the Angel… I… I messed up Shinji… I let you down!"

"No, you didn't Asuka… you did great…" Shinji said. "I saw your fight from a distance as Kaji led me back… you almost had that thing…"

"No I didn't!" Asuka shouted. "I never even came close! Every Angel I've fought, I needed your damn help!"

"No you didn't…" Shinji said.

"YES I DID!" Asuka shouted as she stopped crying and pushed Shinji away from her. "You were with me with the Sixth Angel, we had to work together against the Seventh, you saved me from dying against the Eighth, you killed the Ninth and Tenth, you gutted the Twelfth, saved Toji and killed the Thirtieth, and went primal on the Fourteenth! I haven't done anything like you did against the Third and Fourth! I'm useless!"

"No, you're not, Asuka." Shinji said. "We all fight together… trust me, it's not fun fighting alone… there isn't anyone there to back you up and if you fail… everyone dies…"

"What…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, you have no idea what it's like to fight alone…" Shinji said. "It's the scariest feeling in the world. You're lucky… you've never had to do that…"

"Yeah… but I've never been able to do it on my own…" Asuka said. "I'm a failure…"

"Asuka, you're the best pilot I know." Shinji said. "You work so hard to pilot… you've done it longer than any of us. You're never afraid… but I'm always afraid… I let you guys down with Toji… I froze up…"

"Yeah, but like always… you pulled something out when it mattered…" Asuka said as she started to tear up again. "You always fix whatever mistakes we make…"

Shinji walked back over and hugged Asuka again. "Asuka… you guys don't make mistakes, we all do our best, and you guys weaken the Angel enough for to end up killing it… we all do our part."

"I…" Asuka said tearfully. "I didn't know you thought that way… I assumed you thought that I was useless…"

"Asuka, I could never think that about you…" Shinji said. "And, Asuka… assuming makes an ass out of you and me."

"Jerk…" Asuka muttered. "But… I'm… I'm sorry I yelled at you… I didn't… I didn't know…"

"Asuka, you don't need to apologize…" Shinji said. "Just next time you need to ask me something… don't start yelling, ok?"

"Yeah, I promise…" Asuka said nuzzling Shinji's shoulder. "So, can I ask you something else, Shinji?"

"What is it, Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"What happened to you while you were trapped?" Asuka asked. "Were you… scared?"

"No… just lonely…" Shinji said. "It wasn't as bad as it was with the Angel… the Core felt… safe…"

"Why was it safe?" Asuka asked.

Shinji looked at Asuka and couldn't bring himself to explain what he found out. "It just felt… familiar…" Shinji said. "Have you ever felt that inside Unit–02?"

"Warm and safe?" Asuka asked. "Uh… once I think… maybe twice… it's a weird feeling, right? Like you're being hugged or something."

"Yeah, that's the feeling." Shinji said. "I'm glad I'm not the only one, I thought I was crazy…"

"You're not crazy Shinji…" Asuka said. "Well, you're no crazier than the rest of us…"

"Thanks, Asuka…" Shinji said. "So do you want to ask me anything else?"

"No… but can we keep hugging like this for a while?" Asuka asked. "I really enjoy when we hug."

"You… you do?" Shinji asked.

Asuka smiled. "Yeah… I get that same feeling you described when we do this."

"So do I…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, do you have something on your mind?" Asuka asked.

Shinji blushed. "No… I'm just glad you don't mind me hugging you."

"Baka…" Asuka said. "Just don't disappear on me again…"

"I'll try Asuka…" Shinji said. "I don't want to worry you anymore."

–––

Mari was over at Rei's apartment. Mari had been thinking about Rei said for over a month, and that day at school, Rei had invited the brunette over for a chat. So as Mari followed her home from school, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. When they got up to Rei's dingy apartment, Rei put on some of the music Mari had given her and went to make tea. Mari settled herself on Rei's bed and waited patiently for Rei to return.

Rei walked back over with two teacups in her hands. "Here is your tea, Mari."

"Thanks, blueberry…" Mari said.

Rei sat down next to Mari and looked at her inquiringly. "Mari, are you deep in thought about why I asked you to come over today?"

"Yeah… I am…" Mari said as she blushed.

"I wanted to ask you something." Rei said.

"What is it?" Mari asked as her heart pounded in her chest.

"What do you feel for me?" Rei asked.

"I uh… I like you blueberry…" Mari said. "I like you a… a lot…"

"That is good to know." Rei said.

"That's it?" Mari said tearfully.

"No… Mari, please do not be upset." Rei said. "I am not very good with emotions, so I am not familiar with how to express of process certain things."

"I know that blueberry." Mari said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"I have many feelings about you…" Rei said. "All the feelings I have for you make me feel very warm inside… I do not know if it is love…"

"But you don't want to rush things." Mari said.

"Yes, I do not want to rush into something I do not know if I am ready for." Rei said. "I do not want to make you feel sad if things do not work out the way you'd like…"

"It's not about me, blueberry." Mari said. "I'll do whatever I need to do to make you feel comfortable… I would never want to rush you into something…"

"Thank you Mari…" Rei said. "I knew you would understand…"

"Yeah…" Mari said.

"But I would like to know something…" Rei said.

"Yeah?" Mari asked.

"What is it like to be kissed?" Rei asked.

"Huh?" Mari asked.

"Mari, I am asking you something very simple…" Rei said.

"Wait… you want me to…" Mari said.

"You sometimes take a minute to catch on…" Rei said. "I believe you would call something like this… adorable."

"Wow, I guess my mannerisms have been rubbing off on you…" Mari said. "Are you sure that a kiss isn't going too far?"

"I just want to know how it feels to kiss someone I have feelings for…" Rei said as she blushed brightly. "I believe it is something I would very much enjoy doing."

"I think you'll enjoy it too…" Mari said.

"Well, do not keep me waiting, Mari." Rei said. "I do not want to lose my nerve…"

"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen." Mari said as she leaned in and kissed Rei lightly on the lips. Mari's heart skipped several beats when their lips met and she flashed back to when she kissed Yui. 'She kisses just like Yui…' Mari thought. 'But who cares…'

When Mari broke the kiss, she saw Rei was blushing and could tell her face was as red as hers was. "So, how was that, blueberry?"

"It was… very nice…" Rei said.

"I'm glad, blueberry." Mari said. "So, what do want to do? Just take things slowly and see where life takes us?"

"Yes, I believe that is the best option." Rei said. "I hope you are not disappointed."

"No, I said I don't mind waiting." Mari said. "I'd wait an entire lifetime for a chance to be with you, blueberry."

"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Rei said. "I am glad you feel that way about me… I always thought I was… replaceable."

"Blueberry…" Mari said. "You're anything but replaceable…"

* * *

September 14, 2016 – NERV HQ

The kids were all in their Entry Plugs doing sync tests. Misato was monitoring while Ritsuko administered the tests. The test results were coming in, and Ritsuko was impressed with three of the scores, but disappointed in the final one.

"So, Asuka's score is down again." Ritsuko said. "If this keeps going, I'm pulling her from the program."

"Leave it alone Ritsuko." Misato said. "It's _that_ time of the month."

"She's had _that_ time of the month more than 20 times since she started doing sync tests." Ritsuko retorted. "Physical changes in the body like that don't do anything to the sync rate… it's all psychological, and I will not have an unstable pilot inside of Unit–02."

"Please each of those kids are unstable." Misato said. "Otherwise, they would never have agreed to pilot those things."

"She has a point, Dr. Akagi." Maya said. "Maybe you should give Asuka the benefit of the doubt and let her try to improve her score."

"No, she's a liability." Ritsuko said. "If her score goes down any further, she won't be able to pilot anymore. I will not risk the lives of the human race for some spoiled girl's feelings…"

"Well, that just makes you a bitch." Misato said.

"This makes me a bitch!" Ritsuko said coldly as she flipped the comm switch. "The test is over." Ritsuko said shortly. "Shinji, congratulations, you're still on top, Mari you're in second, and Rei, you're in third." Ritsuko paused and a smile formed on her face. "Asuka, your score dropped five more points… if you don't step it up, you're no longer going to be piloting Unit–02."

" _What, you can't do that!_ " Asuka shouted.

"Yes I can, Asuka." Ritsuko said. "If you're no longer mentally fit for this program, you're done. And you're certainly heading that way."

" _You don't say something like that to someone like this!_ " Mari shouted. " _You tell them in private, you fucking bitch!_ "

" _Dr. Akagi, that is highly insensitive…_ " Rei said. " _You should apologize to her._ "

" _Why are you being so mean to Asuka?!_ " Shinji roared.

Ritsuko attempted to respond, but was interrupted by the base shaking slightly. "What was that?" Ritsuko asked.

"I don't know, ma'am." Maya said. "We're not experiencing an earthquake, it's something else…"

" _Answer me!_ " Shinji roared as the base shook again. " _Why are you being mean to her?!_ "

"Ma'am, I'm getting a report from the Cage… Unit–01 is online." Maya reported.

"How is that even possible?" Misato asked.

"I don't know…" Ritsuko said. "It's on ice…"

"Maybe it has something to do with Shinji." Maya said. "Shinji, please calm down."

" _Not until she apologizes!_ " Shinji shouted.

"Why do I need to apologize?" Ritsuko asked. "I was only stating the truth."

"Just do it, Ritsuko!" Misato shouted. "Stop being such a bitch!"

"Fine…" Ritsuko said. "I'm sorry, Asuka, I was only telling you the truth."

"Son of a bitch, Ritsuko!" Misato shouted. "You can't even apologize like a human being, can you?! Get the hell out of here and go meet Asuka at her Entry Plug!" Misato grabbed the mic. "Shinji, I will make her apologize to Asuka when she gets out of the Entry Plug…" Misato said consolingly. "Just please calm down, you trust me right?"

" _I do Misato…_ " Shinji said as the shaking stopped. " _I do trust you._ "

"Unit–01 has shut down." Maya said. "Shinji, are you ok?"

" _Yes, I'm fine Maya._ " Shinji said. " _But I'm not sorry for getting mad._ "

"That's understandable, Shinji." Maya said. "I'm ending the test everyone. You're cleared to leave. Asuka, Dr. Akagi will meet you at your Entry Plug."

" _Whatever…_ " Asuka muttered. " _Just get me out of here…_ "

–––

Ritsuko's apology didn't go over so well. As soon as Asuka saw the woman, Asuka decked her in the face and knocked her into the pool of LCL the Entry plugs were dipped in. Asuka stormed off before anyone could stop her. Everyone stood there in shock while Ritsuko had flailed around the LCL, and no one stopped to help her.

Asuka ran off to the locker rooms and stood in front of the mirror, clutching her stomach. "Stupid cramps…" Asuka muttered as she braced herself on the sink and looked up at herself. "I hate this… why do I have to suffer through this shit once a month because I'm a girl…" Asuka said angrily. "It's not like anyone would have kids with me anyway…" Asuka slammed her fist into the mirror and broke it. "I hate my life! Shinji will never love me! I may as well just die!"

"Asuka… are you ok?" Mari asked.

"What do you want four eyes?!" Asuka shouted as her hand dripped blood. "Why are you bothering me?!"

Mari looked at the mirror. "Because, Asuka… you just broke a mirror… you're clearly having some issues."

"How much did you hear, four eyes." Asuka asked.

"All of it." Mari said. "Do you want to talk?"

"No, just forget you heard all of that." Asuka said. "It's not your problem… Shinji doesn't love me, and no one on this planet can change that… but I don't think I could love anyone else… I can't stop thinking about him…"

Mari stepped forward and took Asuka's injured hand, and wrapped it in a handkerchief. "I know… and I can't tell you anything to fix what you're feeling, just remember that I'm always here for you if you need to talk." Mari finished wrapping Asuka's wound and hugged the girl. "You can punch me if you want, I won't make your fist bleed as much."

Asuka hugged Mari back and began to cry. "I just… I just don't want to be a failure!" Asuka cried out. "If I'm a failure, then Shinji will never love me!"

"Just let it all out, Asuka." Mari said consolingly as Asuka sobbed uncontrollably on her shoulder. "Cry as much as you need to… I'll figure something out, don't worry…"

* * *

September 15, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka woke up suddenly. Asuka checked her phone to see what time it was, and other than it being 5:30a, she also noticed the date.

"It's been a year since then already… I've been here over a year… but today…" Asuka said quietly. "I should go see if he's ok…"

Asuka got out of bed quietly and went to the door, exiting her room without a sound. Asuka then walked into Shinji's room quietly. He was still sleeping soundly, and Asuka moved quietly next to him and bent down and whispered in his ear. "Shinji, are you awake?"

Shinji stirred and looked up at her tiredly. "What's wrong, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "Are you hungry or something?"

"No… I just wanted to stay with you this morning." Asuka said. "I know… I remember what day it is…"

"The day?" Shinji asked as he rolled over to check his phone. "Oh… right…"

"Sorry, I just thought after last year at the cemetery you might not want to be alone…" Asuka said. "I just thought it would be… nice."

"It is…" Shinji said. "I was hoping to avoid it, but…"

"You can't avoid things that hurt you." Asuka said. "So, can I lay down?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said as Asuka laid down behind him. "Asuka… I still miss her… but I know she's watching over me…"

"I'm sure she is, Shinji." Asuka said. "I just hope this helps."

"It is." Shinji said. "Is your hand feeling any better?"

"Yeah." Asuka said. "You cleaned it up pretty well."

"Asuka, how did you really hurt your hand?" Shinji asked. "I really doubt that you injured it falling down, there was glass in it."

"I… I was upset about what that cunt Akagi said." Asuka explained. "I didn't fall on it, I punched the mirror."

"Asuka…" Shinji said. "I am really sorry that Dr. Akagi said that to you... that was a shitty thing for her to say…"

"It's not your fault, Shinji…" Asuka said. "I'm just not as good of an EVA pilot as you think I am."

"But you are." Shinji protested. "You never give up when things look like shit, that's what really matters, Asuka. You're the bravest person I know."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, I would never lie to you." Shinji said. "I really do think you're the bravest person I know."

"Thanks, Shinji…" Asuka said. "But I thought I was supposed to be comforting you."

"Well, with friends it works both ways." Shinji said. "Asuka, how did you remember that today was the day my mother died?"

"Shinji, I'm really good with remembering things." Asuka said. "I thought it would be important to remember."

"I'm really glad you remembered, Asuka." Shinji said. "It's nice to not feel so alone, especially today…"

'Maybe I should ask him out today…' Asuka thought. "Hey, Shinji…" Asuka said sweetly. "So you want to skip school? I can pretend to be sick, and we can go do something fun…"

"Well, Asuka… I missed a whole month of school." Shinji said. "Should I miss any more?"

"What's one more day?" Asuka asked. "It's not like we learn anything… they didn't even advance us grade wise, were still second year junior high school students."

"Ok, you have a point." Shinji said. "Is it just you and me then?"

"Yeah, let everyone else suffer in that place." Asuka said. "We'll just have fun here."

"That sounds nice…" Shinji said. 'Maybe I'll tell her today…' Shinji thought. 'This might be that right time Sakura and Mari have been telling me about…'

"Good…" Asuka said. "How are we going to play this?"

"You came in here so I could make sure you're ok…" Shinji said. "I'll tell Misato that you have a fever and that I'll make sure you're ok, seeing as she's so irresponsible…"

"Sounds reasonable." Asuka said. "But that means we have to stop cuddling…"

"Well, we can always cuddle later." Shinji said. "Now I have to pretend to dote on you."

"Later will be fine… baka." Asuka said. "But for right now… ten more minutes."

"Sure thing, Asuka." Shinji said.

–––

Something began moving away from the Moon. It was a bright creature and it appeared to be made of light. Her main body was shaped like many of the face masks the other Angels, spreading from that where four wings. Two of those wings were very short and pointed towards the beak on the mask. The other set of wings were extremely long and were swept up and behind her body. From those massive wings two sets of somewhat shorter wing s pointed forwards and away from her main body. Looking at her from the front, she was very menacing and far larger than any Angel previously encountered, including the massive Sahaquiel and Ramiel. Her entire body glowed with an eerie blue white glow.

She floated silently and steadily towards a Low Earth Orbit, and planned to hover above where all her siblings had been vanquished – Tokyo–3, the city of death.

Arael was ready to strike.

–––

The skeleton crew that was present in the newly repaired Command Center was the night shift. Maya had a double shift, and would be working the day shift with Misato as she normally would. Maya was sitting at her station as she normally did, but she was the officer on watch, so she was responsible for anything that happened while she was in charge.

The panel next to her beeped, and the young man sitting there got startled.

"Uh… Lieutenant?" The nervous and just out of the academy Warrant Officer Hideki Tama said. "What's this beeping?"

"It's an alert you moron." Warrant Officer Sumire Nagara said sarcastically. "Hit the pretty button."

"Shut up, Sumire." Hideki said. "I mean, what is the alert for?"

"Enough you two." Maya said. "That's a Waveform Pattern…" Maya stood up and moved Hideki out of the way. "Pattern Orange… in orbit?" Maya's face fell. "Not again…"

"What's wrong, Lieutenant?" Sumire asked.

"Why does it matter if it's in orbit?" Hideki asked.

"The Tenth Angel tried to drop on us from orbit." Maya said. "Sumire, lock on to the Pattern Orange with the closest OBSAT, Hideki, contact the Evangelion Cage and have them prep Unit–00, Unit–XP and Unit–02 for combat."

"Why, ma'am?" Hideki asked. "We don't know if it's an Angel yet."

"From my experience, when a Pattern Orange shows up… a Pattern Blue isn't far behind."

"Uh… about that Pattern Blue, Lieutenant." Sumire said. "It's confirmed… the Fifteenth Angel is moving into a Low Earth Orbit."

Maya sighed. "Display the thing on screen."

"Pulling up the feed from OBSAT–17 now." Sumire replied.

Arael came up on the main monitor, and Maya was shocked at her size.

"That thing is massive…" Maya said. "Where did it come from?"

"The MAGI predict it came from the direction of the Moon." Sumire said. "On its projected path, it will be directly above Tokyo–3 in four hours."

"Wonderful… Hideki, has the Cage been apprised?" Maya asked.

"Yes, Lieutenant." Hideki replied. "Evangelions are being prepped now."

"Good." Maya said. "Now, get Commander Ikari on the phone. Sumire, set Level–2 battle stations and issue an alert to the city."

"Roger that." Sumire said.

"Calling him now, ma'am." Hideki replied. "I have him on the line."

"Give me the phone, please." Maya said.

" _Lieutenant Ibuki, I assume this has something to do with the alert status being increased._ " Gendo said.

"Yes, Commander, it's an Angel." Maya said. "Moving into Low Earth Orbit, it'll be above us in four hours."

" _Has an evacuation order been issued?_ " Gendo asked.

"Yes, sir." Maya replied.

" _Excellent work, Lieutenant._ " Gendo said. " _Contact Colonel Katsuragi, and bring the pilots in. I will be there shortly._ "

"Understood, sir." Maya replied.

–––

Asuka was lying in Shinji's bed. Shinji had noticed she was clenching her stomach while they were cuddling, so Shinji went off and made Asuka some ginger tea. He shook her awake gently. "Asuka, wake up." Shinji said soothingly.

"Ugh… what is that awful smell?" Asuka asked.

"Ginger tea." Shinji said. "It'll help with the pain."

"How did you know I was in pain?" Asuka asked.

"I guess every time you had a twinge, your knee would hit me in the back." Shinji said.

"Sorry…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, you don't need to apologize, it happens." Shinji said. "Is it your… uh… period?"

'He's so nice… he noticed…' Asuka thought as she stared at Shinji in shock that he had actually said the word. "Yeah, it is, Shinji." Asuka said. "It's not fun, you're lucky you're a boy, you don't have to suffer every fucking month."

"Well, this'll help with the… uh…" Shinji stammered.

"Cramps?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, those." Shinji said.

"Will this shit really help?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I keep it stocked for Mari…" Shinji said. "She says it tastes like ass, but it helps."

"What a ringing endorsement…" Asuka said as she took a sip. She gagged on the tea, bug choked it down, sputtering and swearing in German under her breath. "Mari described that pretty well… although I think it's insulting to the taste of ass…"

"Whatever… it's bad enough smelling it." Shinji said. "I just hope it helps."

"Well, I'm in pain, Shinji." Asuka said. "Hold me."

Shinji smiled. "Sure." Shinji got back into bed, with his back to Asuka.

"You can turn around, baka." Asuka said. "I won't bite."

"Ok…" Shinji said as he rolled over to face Asuka. "Better?"

"Yeah, much." Asuka said as she cuddled against Shinji.

"Asuka… is it like that every month?" Shinji asked. "The pain I mean…"

"Yeah, it is." Asuka said. "Since the first time, it sucks…"

"Why haven't you asked for help?" Shinji asked.

"I was… embarrassed." Asuka said. "No one likes talking about periods…"

"Asuka, you live with two other girls, you should have said something." Shinji said. "You don't need to suffer in silence you know."

"Well… I didn't want to look… uh… weak." Asuka said as she blushed.

"Asuka, if you're around friends, you'll never be embarrassed." Shinji said. "Mari would never make fun of you for this. She's not cruel like Dr. Akagi is…"

"Ugh… that cunt." Asuka said. "I hate Akagi."

"I know, I don't like the way she treats you." Shinji said sternly.

"Thanks for sticking up for me yesterday." Asuka said. "It was really nice of you."

"You did the same for me when the Angel absorbed me." Shinji said. "You threatened to beat her to death… you don't have to thank me…"

Asuka blushed a deeper shade of red. "Oh… who told you?"

"Mari." Shinji said simply. "She was impressed by your resolve to kill her with your bare hands." Shinji smiled. "You know… you punched her really well you know." Shinji said. "No one helped her out of the LCL either, they just left her to struggle there."

"So she was left there?" Asuka asked. "Good, shame she didn't drown though…"

"Asuka, our problems don't disappear that easily." Shinji said.

"Well, it would be nice if they did." Asuka said.

Before Shinji could respond, Misato flung the door open while she struggled to put on her uniform jacket.

"Move it you two." Misato said as she poked her head into Shinji's room. "Angel alert, we need to move, now!"

"Figures…" Asuka muttered.

"Just fucking wonderful…" Shinji said.

"I'll explain the details in the car." Misato said. "Shinji, can you please drag your best buddy out of her bed and get her dressed?"

"Yeah, sure." Shinji said. "She always hates when I do that though."

"Well, tough for her." Misato said. "Wait… Asuka, why are you in here?"

"Uh…" Asuka stammered.

"Her cramps." Shinji said. "She asked if I knew of anything that would help, I was just being nice."

"Do you two still have clothes on under there?" Misato asked as she pulled the sheets back. "Oh, thank god…" Misato said. "I was afraid there for a second."

"You're one to talk." Asuka said. "All the deviant sexual acts you and Kaji do in your room with no regard to anyone else in this place."

"Don't you…" Misato said indignantly. "You know what, we don't have time for this. Get ready to go, Asuka. Shinji, wake up Mari and drag her downstairs if you have to."

"Fine…" Shinji said.

"Pain in the ass…" Asuka mumbled. "I was comfortable…"

'I guess I'll tell her later…' Shinji thought as he got up and went to wake up Mari.

'I guess I'll ask him out later…' Asuka thought. 'After I kill that Angel for interrupting.'

–––

While the pilots were getting ready, Misato was sizing up the situation in Central Dogma. She was looking at the still and live feed on Arael, and was trying to figure out something to do.

"So, what's its status?" Misato asked.

"Since it took a stationary positon 120km above us… it hasn't moved." Maya said. "It's just waiting there…"

"It's just outside of our defense perimeter." Hyuga said. "It hasn't made a move against us, but it's also hovering right above us, so it clearly knows we're here."

"How long has it been there?" Misato asked.

"Well, we detected it over seven hours ago, and it's been in place for just about three hours." Maya said.

"We're at Level–1 battle stations, and the city has been retracted." Fuyutsuki said. "The evacuation is almost complete."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Misato asked.

"Our new Positron Rifle." Ritsuko said. "It's almost as powerful as the one we used last year against the Fifth Angel, but it's more portable."

"You say almost as powerful…" Misato said.

"It has a power cell, Misato." Ritsuko explained. "It can fire 20 shots before it needs to be recharged. It should be powerful enough to kill the Angel from the ground."

"Well, it's not like we have any other options." Misato said. "We can't exactly get that high… even if we mounted the EVA to the back of one of those massive transport planes…" Misato shook her head. "We know they're aware of any potential threats to their lives, so it would probably retaliate against us before we could kill it."

"So, what is your plan, Colonel?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"We attack using a fixed ground position and hope for the best." Misato said. "How long until our Positron Rifle is ready?"

"Three hours." Ritsuko said. "We have to finish prepping it."

"How long until you can prep the other Positron Rifle?" Misato asked.

"The one we used against the Fifth?!" Ritsuko asked indignantly. "What the hell do you need that one for?!"

"I like having a backup plan." Misato said. "Do you have a simpler way of powering it?"

"Yes, I calculated out that by controlling the explosions of 5 N2 warheads, we can double the output that we fired at the Fifth Angel last year." Maya explained. "I can have it ready in four hours, Colonel."

"Good job, Maya." Misato said. "Get it done."

–––

Everyone was sitting in their EVAs. Shinji was feeling quite cold inside his, considering Unit–01 was covered in ice from being in cold storage. Unit–02 and Unit–00 were online and waiting to be moved to the launch elevator. Unit–XP was being held in reserve due to the Angel's position.

Asuka was sitting angrily in her Entry Plug. She was waiting for Misato to give her and everyone else instructions.

" _Rei, you'll be taking point._ " Misato said. " _Asuka, you'll be guarding Rei, making sure the Angel can't get a bead on her, Mari, you're on standby, we probably won't launch you because of the difficulty of moving Unit–XP around inside the city._ "

Asuka sat there silently in shock. She didn't say anything.

" _Understood._ " Rei said.

" _Copy, miso._ " Mari said.

" _What about me Misato?_ " Shinji said.

" _Unit–01 is on lockdown._ " Misato said. " _Commander's orders…_ "

" _What if things go bad?_ " Shinji asked. " _You can't just expect me to sit here and not help._ "

" _We will decide on Unit–01's intervention when the need arises._ " Gendo said. " _But I doubt that will come to pass. You are too much of a lability to be put into combat._ "

" _Whatever…_ " Shinji said.

" _Asuka, are you there?_ " Misato asked. " _Do you understand the orders?_ "

"You want me… to be the backup?" Asuka said. "Why am I not taking point?"

" _Your sync score is too damn low to be of any real use._ " Ritsuko said coldly. " _If Unit–01 weren't on lockdown, and if Unit–XP could be used inside the city we wouldn't be using you at all, so just follow your orders._ "

" _Ritsuko?!_ " Misato shouted. " _What the fuck?!_ "

"You fucking bitch!" Asuka shouted as she pulled the control yokes and overrode the controls in the command center. "I'll fucking show you… I'll show you all!"

" _Colonel… we've just been locked out._ " Hyuga said.

" _By what?!_ " Misato asked. " _By who?!_ "

" _Unit–02…_ " Hyuga replied.

" _Fix it now, you idiots!_ " Ritsuko shouted.

The platform Unit–02 was on started to move as those in the Command Center tried desperately to override what Asuka had done.

" _She's done something to this… we can't break the encryption!_ " Maya shouted.

" _We're locked out of all launch functions!_ " Aoba shouted.

" _Asuka, don't do it!_ " Shinji pleaded. " _Wait for Rei! You can't go out there alone!_ "

"Yes, I can Shinji!" Asuka said. "I'll be fine…" Asuka tapped a few keys on her control console. "Launch path set… and clear… Unit–02… LAUNCHING!"

" _Asuka, don't!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Oh, let the stupid, arrogant cunt go._ " Ritsuko said. " _If she gets herself killed, it just makes it easier for us to find a replacement._ "

" _Don't call her that, you fucking bitch!_ " Shinji shouted. " _LEAVE HER ALONE!_ "

" _How's your nose, bitch?_ " Mari asked. " _Still sting from the right hook you got from the princess?_ "

" _Shut up the both of you!_ " Ritsuko shouted. " _Keep the lines clear, that way we can hear when the stupid girl is in trouble._ "

" _Enough!_ " Misato shouted. " _Ritsuko, either shut the fuck up, or get out of my fucking Command Center, got it?!_ "

"Thanks Shinji…" Asuka muttered as she got close to the surface. "This time… I'll protect you from the Angel…"

–––

Shinji sat inside his Entry Plug with his head hung, and a worried look on his face. He had cut off his comm transmission and was listening intently as Asuka got Unit–02 into position to attack Arael.

"Asuka… please be safe up there…" Shinji said. "I know you're strong… I just don't want you to get hurt."

Shinji looked up at the top of his Entry Plug. "Mom… if something happens… please help me save her… I can't lose her…"

" _We've overridden Asuka's lockout._ " Hyuga reported. " _All systems are back under our control again._ "

" _Unit–02 is moving into final position, I'm sending up our Positron Rifle now._ " Maya said.

" _Good job, Maya._ " Misato said. " _Start sending the tracking data to Unit–02, get Asuka ready to fire on our command._ "

" _Understood, ma'am._ " Maya said. " _Tracking data is prepped._ "

"Come on, Asuka…" Shinji said. "I believe in you."

–––

It was sunset. However, due to the heavy rain on the surface, Asuka couldn't see it. Asuka was using a new version of the Positron Rifle. She had her sniper sight online and was being fed tracking data from Maya.

"I can do this…" Asuka muttered. "I need to show them I can still pilot Unit–02… I won't let that fucking cunt Akagi take away my mother's life's work." Asuka glared at the Angel through her scope. "I'll protect Shinji… and I'll pay him back for all the times he's saved my life… then I can ask him out…"

Asuka was looking through her scope, and the targeting reticles were not lining up. The tracking data put the Angel just out of range of the ground based targeting.

"Gottverdammt bastard…" Asuka said angrily. "Come in here and fight me!"

" _The Angel is still out of range._ " Aoba said.

"Fuck it…" Asuka said. "Take this you cowardly fucker!"

" _Asuka, you don't have a target lock!_ " Misato said.

"Shinji didn't either when he killed the Fifth Angel!" Asuka shouted. "So shut up and let me handle it!"

The positron rifle fired once. The shot flew straight at Arael, but was deflected off of her extremely powerful A.T. Field.

" _It was right on target, ma'am._ " Maya said. " _Dead center. But it's too far out of range, the shot was ineffective…._ "

"Damn you!" Asuka shouted. "FUCKING DIE!"

Unit–02 squeezed the trigger and fired the rest of the 19 rounds at Arael. Each one fired right on target without a lock, but they were all defected away by Arael's A.T. Field.

"You fucking bastard!" Asuka screamed. "Get me another gun!"

" _We can't…_ " Misato shouted.

"Damn it!" Asuka screamed. She was still looking through her scope when she saw a bright light heading towards her. "What the hell is that?!"

The light shot down in a rainbow of color and enveloped Unit–02. It didn't do any damage, but all the equipment inside of the Evangelion was going haywire.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Asuka screamed as she clutched her head. "WHAT IS THIS!?"

" _Asuka!_ " Shinji shouted.

–––

In Central Dogma, alarms and warnings were going off like crazy. Everyone was running around trying to find out what was happening, everyone but Ritsuko, who had a smug smile on her face.

"Couldn't have happened to a shittier person." Ritsuko muttered quietly.

"What's that light? Is it a particle beam weapon?" Misato shouted. "Give me some answers, people!"

"No thermal or electromagnetic emissions detected!" Hyuga said. "It's not a weapon of any kind, Colonel!"

"Then what the hell is it?!" Misato shouted.

"Her synchrograph readings are erratic!" Maya shouted. "Mental contamination is imminent!" Maya stared at the readings in front of her. "Whatever it is, is synced with her brainwaves! From the looks of it… it's forcing its way in!"

"Asuka, can you hear me!?" Misato asked frantically.

" _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_ " Asuka screamed. " _LEAVE ME ALONE!_ "

"Asuka!" Misato shouted.

–––

Asuka was clutching her head in agony. Arael was boring into her mind with her light beam. As Asuka flailed inside her Entry Plug, Unit–02 flailed around with her. Asuka kept seeing flashes of memories in her head she had been repressing for a very long time. Things she'd rather forget ever happened.

"No… get out of my head!" Asuka screamed. "You're trying to make me remember… I don't want to remember!" Asuka slammed her hands into her head. "No… I don't like these memories… GET AWAY FROM ME!"

**Flashback**

**"Daddy!" Asuka cried out, running over to him. "Welcome home!"**

**"Hi Asuka…" Oscar said in a hollow tone. "We need to talk."**

**"What's wrong, daddy? Is something wrong?" Asuka asked, looking around. "Should we wait for momma to come inside before we talk? She doesn't like missing conversations."**

**"Your mother won't be coming inside, Asuka. She had an accident at the lab, and she's in the hospital." Oscar said bluntly.**

**"No, that's a lie!" Asuka shouted. "Momma promised her test would be ok and that she wouldn't have an accident! Momma never breaks her promises!"**

**"Well, unfortunately, she did this time Asuka, I'm sorry." Oscar said, with a hint of anger in his voice.**

**"I want to see her!" Asuka shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. "I want to see momma!" Asuka had a pout on her face and slammed her foot hard on the ground. "I want to see momma now!"**

**"NO!" Oscar shouted back. "You cannot see your mother, not right now!"**

**"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I WANT TO GO SEE MOMMA!" Asuka yelled at the top of her lungs with tears streaming freely down her face.**

**Oscar slapped Asuka with a backhand across the face, causing her to fall down hard on her bottom and send Karl across the foyer. "Don't ever raise your voice to me like that again, do you understand me?!" Oscar spat.**

**Asuka only nodded as she rubbed her cheek from the slap and continued to cry on the floor.**

**End Flashback**

"No, I hate this!" Asuka screamed. "Make it stop! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!" Asuka writhed in pain as she was tormented by another memory she'd rather forget, the first time she saw her mother after the accident. "NO, THAT'S NOT MY MOMMA, MY MOMMA WASN'T THAT PERSON!"

**Flashback**

**Asuka didn't notice the two adults disappear from behind her as she was still so totally focused on her mother. Asuka tried to get her mother's attention by taping on the glass to no avail. "Momma, it's me, Asuka!" Asuka said to the window, her face was so close her breath fogged the window as she spoke. "Can't you see me momma? I came to visit!" Asuka tapped the glass a little harder. "I'm sorry I haven't come to see you in a while, daddy told me I couldn't come to visit yet cause you were still sick." Asuka looked more dejected at her mother's lack of a response. "Momma, why won't you talk to me?!" Asuka slammed her fist on the hard on the window "MOMMA LOOK AT ME, TALK TO ME!"**

**Kyoko reacted to the shouting by grabbing her bowl of oatmeal and throwing it at the window, shattering the bowl and sending fragments of the ceramic bowl and the remnants of the oatmeal flying all over the place. Asuka screamed as Kyoko jumped up flinging aside the rag doll and rushing the window and slamming on it with her fists. "Leave me and my daughter alone! Stop bothering us! GO AWAY YOU LITTLE BRAT!"**

**Three nurses ran into the room, dragging Kyoko away from the window and injecting her with enough medication to drop a horse. Kyoko near instantaneously calmed down and was brought back to her bed and the rag doll was placed back in her arms as the nurses left. They didn't notice Asuka standing there in disbelief at what she had just witnessed and walked by her without acknowledging her presence.**

**Asuka sat on the stool and faced away from the window, her face buried in her knees. She was crying and didn't car who heard her. It was her birthday, and it was probably the worst birthday she'd ever have. "Momma, why didn't you recognize me. Do you not love me anymore?" Asuka said as she continued to cry alone in the room with a women who didn't know her anymore.**

**End Flashback**

"NOOOOO!" Asuka screamed. "That's not my momma, THAT'S NOT MY MOMMA! SHE WASN'T THAT LADY, IT WASN'T HER!"

" _Asuka…_ " Shinji shouted. " _ASUKA, ANSWER ME, PLEASE!_ "

"SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!" Asuka screamed. "PLEASE, SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM THIS DAMN THING."

Another memory came to the surface, forced up by Arael's assault on her mind.

**Flashback**

**Asuka was at the hospital again, as she was every week for the past five months when her father came to check up on Kyoko and ask Dr. Shikinami questions about his wife's condition.**

**While the adults were in the doctor's private office, Asuka stood, unattended, in the front of the observation window and looked sullenly thorough the window at her mother. Asuka looked on as her mother was eating with the tray in front of her, a spoon in one hand, and that redheaded rag doll in the other.**

**Asuka wanted to hear what her mother was saying, and found what she had failed to notice after months of standing in the same spot, a small intercom between the door frame and the window frame. Asuka moved her stool over so she could reach it and pushed the button labeled 'listen' and she heard her mother's voice for the first time since she yelled at her to go away.**

**"Asuka darling, I've cooked your favorite." Kyoko said to the rag doll.**

**"Now, Asuka, you mustn't complain about what you like and dislike eating, otherwise that rude girl over there will laugh at you." Kyoko said pointing to Asuka in the window.**

**"No, Asuka, that girl is just jealous of you because you're so special to momma."**

**"Yes, Asuka, you are very special to me." Kyoko said. "I just want you to be happy sweetheart."**

**Asuka shut off the intercom not wanting to hear anymore.**

**'If that doll is momma's baby, what does that make me?' Asuka thought as tears welled up in her eyes. 'I need to ask her, that's how I'll find out.'**

**Asuka wanted to confront her mother, so she hopped off the stool and went over to the door. The last nurse had left it unlocked, and Asuka snuck in silently and looked at her mother who was still trying to feed the doll.**

**"Asuka if you don't eat, then you won't be a healthy girl anymore." Kyoko said. "You need your strength to be better than everyone else."**

**Asuka looked at her mother, her eyes wide with sadness. "Momma! Who am I?" Asuka cried out. "Momma! Please look at me, momma!"**

**Kyoko had stopped talking to the doll and simply sat there quietly.**

**"Look at me, momma!" Asuka shouted. "Please don't stop being my momma!"**

**Kyoko turned with a psychotic look on her face toward Asuka "Who are you?" She asked.**

**"I'm Asuka, your daughter!" Asuka said tearfully. "Don't you recognize me?"**

**"You're not my Asuka…" Kyoko said.**

**"YES I AM!" Asuka screamed.**

**"If you were my Asuka you'd agree to die with me…" Kyoko said.**

**"I'll die with you momma." Asuka said woefully. "Just as long as you don't stop being my mother."**

**At those words, Kyoko leapt from the bed and tackled Asuka to the ground. She wrapped her hands around Asuka's neck and began to choke her.**

**"Asuka, come to heaven with me!" Kyoko shouted, a crazed look on her face.**

**Asuka started gasping for breath as her mother's grip got tighter and tighter.**

**"Please Asuka, die with me!" Kyoko screamed. "Then we can be together forever."**

**Asuka felt like she was going to suffocate, and her face started to turn blue.**

**"Asuka, die already!" Kyoko shouted. "I want us to be together for eternity."**

**As the darkness closed around Asuka's eyes, two nurses rushed into the room and tried to pry Kyoko off of Asuka. This however didn't work, and one nurse ended up smashing a vase over Kyoko's head to knock her out.**

**Asuka was gasping for breath as one of the nurse's helped Asuka up off the ground. "Are you alright dear?"**

**Asuka only nodded, as her sight and the feeling in her neck began to return, but she was still having trouble speaking.**

**"Why were you in here anyway?" The nurse asked. "You were told by your father that it wasn't safe to talk to your mother, right? She has fits sometimes."**

**"I… I… I just wanted momma to look at me." Asuka said nervously while rubbing her throat. "I just wanted to talk to her."**

**"Oh dear, I'm sorry that you ended up in here, but the door should have been locked." The nurse said. "Was it unlocked when you came in?"**

**Asuka nodded. "All I had to do was push the door, and it opened right away."**

**"Well in the future, please don't venture in here, we don't want you to get hurt." The nurse said picking Asuka up.**

**"Is my momma gonna be alright?" Asuka asked the nurse as her eyes welled with tears.**

**"We're not sure dear, that more of a question for the doctor." The nurse said, but upon noticing tears in Asuka's eyes, decided to try and be more consoling to the sad child. "But she is getting better, so I'm sure she'll be alright soon enough, it's just… these things take time." Asuka started into the nurse's shoulder. "Oh, its ok sweetie, there's no need to cry, everything will be alright."**

**"I just want my momma back!" Asuka wailed as the nurse rubbed her back trying in vain to console her. "I'm going to keep talking to her until she recognizes me again."**

**End Flashback**

"NOOOOOO!" Asuka screamed as she grabbed her throat. "THAT WASN'T MY MOMMA! SHE LOVED ME! SHE DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT ME!"

–––

In Central Dogma, everyone was prepping the more powerful Positron Rifle for its attack. They could still hear the screams of Asuka as Arael violated her mind.

" _Someone, help her!_ " Shinji shouted.

" _Yeah, send me up… let me do something!_ " Mari pleaded.

"We're working on it you two." Misato said. "Maya, status."

"Unit–00 is in place." Maya reported. "N2 warheads are primed and ready to power the shot. Rifle is primed and ready."

"Target tracking data is being sent to Unit–00 now, surface targeting systems, Evangelion targeting systems, and OBSAT tracking systems are synced." Hyuga reported.

"Adjusting shot angle and power for beyond visual range fire." Aoba reported. "Transferring fire control to Unit–00."

"How many shots do we have?" Misato asked.

"Just the one, ma'am." Maya replied. "It will take another hour to reload."

" _We don't have an hour!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Asuka needs help now!_ "

" _Shinji…_ " Rei said calmly. " _I will save her… do not worry. Please, believe in me._ "

" _I trust you Rei…_ " Shinji said. " _I know you can kill that Angel._ "

" _Make that fucking Angel eat hot phased plasma, blueberry._ " Mari said. " _Make it your baby back bitch._ "

" _I will strive to do so._ " Rei said.

"Alright, Rei…" Misato said. "Weapons free… fire when ready."

–––

Rei had her targeting computer in front of her. She was concentrating hard on making sure she had a kill shot lined up.

"I will not fail my friends." Rei said quietly. "I will not let Asuka get hurt any further."

" _Rei, are you ready to fire?_ " Misato asked.

"I am preparing to fire now." Rei said. "Target is locked, rifle is loaded." Rei narrowed her eyes. "This is for hurting my friend… FIRING!"

The shot that came out of the Positron Rifle was stronger than the on fired at Ramiel. It lit up the city like a massive lightbulb, and the force of the blast left burn marks on the surrounding buildings. It ripped through the cloud cover and went right towards Arael, however as the shot got close it was splintered into several smaller beams and went around Arael, leaving the Angel otherwise undamaged.

–––

Asuka was still being tortured by Arael. She was trying her best to resist

A scene of blood flashed before Asuka's eyes. "NO, DON'T MAKE ME REMEMBER THAT!" Asuka screamed as she saw a pool of blood around her feet. "NO, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN, STOP IT… STOP VIOLATING MY MIND!"

**Flashback**

**Asuka meanwhile was running at full bore down the hallway towards her mother's hospital room. As she approached the door she cried out. "MOMMA!"**

**Asuka ran into the room that led into her mother's room and didn't notice the lights were out. "Momma! They picked me!" Asuka cried happily. "Momma, did you hear me?!"**

**Asuka jumped on a stool and pressed the intercom button, still not really aware that the lights were off. "Momma they said I'm special, just like you always told me I was!" Asuka said into the intercom. "They picked me over everyone else!"**

**"I'm going to be an elite pilot! They said I'm going to save the world!" Asuka was so overcome with joy, it took her a few minutes to realize her mother wasn't listening to her at all. "Momma, are you there?"**

**Asuka hopped off the stool and pushed on the door, it was unlocked, so, against her better judgment and everything she had been told about not going into her mother's room, Asuka pushed the door open and walked inside. With the light flooding in from the other room Asuka was met with the most gruesome sight she had ever seen.**

**The fluorescent light on the ceiling had been shattered, leaving shards of light bulb everywhere. The rag doll lay on the floor with its head having been roughly severed, leaving a jagged and frayed edges. There was a pool of something collecting around the severed doll's head. Asuka looked over to see the source of the mess and saw her mother laying on the ground covered and surrounded by a pool of blood. There was a jagged piece of lightbulb clutched in her bleeding hand, and a long jagged cut across her throat that went from ear to ear. Her white nightgown was stained red with blood which was still trickling out from the deep wound. Her skin was pale and grey, her eyes were wide open and blank, and she had a sickening smile on her now sunken face, which showed the last remnants of the insanity that drove her to end her life in such a gruesome way.**

**"MOMMA!" Asuka screamed. "MOMMAAAAAA!"**

**End Flashback**

"SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP!" Asuka cried out in agony. "ALL THAT BLOOD, WHY DID SHE DO IT!? WHY DID MY MOMMA LEAVE ME!? WHY DID SHE LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!? WHY DID MY ONLY FRIEND LEAVE ME!? WHY AM I ALL ALONE!?"

**Flashback**

**Asuka was standing in the graveyard, she was surrounded by adults on all sides. She was in the front, holding her grandmother's hand and looking at the casket holding her mother. Her face was still and showed no emotion whatsoever.**

**Asuka stood there listening to the priest drone on about moving on to a better place and reading from the bible as if that would make things any better, or bring her mother back to her. 'Why do things have to go this way? I wish momma hadn't done that…' Asuka thought as her eye twitched as she repressed the memory of her mother lying dead on the floor. 'I can't think about that anymore, I refuse to think about that. I loved momma, and I won't remember her like that.'**

**Asuka stared at the grave stone ash she overheard her father behind her. When she heard his words, her eyes narrowed in anger and disgust.**

**"It was unfortunate what happened." Oscar said.**

**"Nothing could be done, it was a wonder that it didn't happen sooner." Mimori said.**

**"Well that experiment broke her mind, it was something unfortunate, but it was always a possibility." Oscar replied.**

**"But how cruel of her to kill that doll and then take her own life in such a horrific way. Even as a psychologist, I find it a very selfish thing to do." Mimori said quietly.**

**"Well, once the service is over, we can tell her the good news, Mimori." Oscar replied, wrapping his arm around the woman.**

**"Disgusting." Asuka muttered under her breath.**

**As the service finished, and the mourners began to step away, Asuka's grandmother turned to her. "Liebchen, are you alright? You're very quiet."**

**"I'm fine grandmother." Asuka replied curtly.**

**"You know liebchen, its ok to cry." Asuka's grandmother, Isolda Zeppelin Soryu, said quietly. "I cried when your grandfather died. And his only request was that he be buried in my hometown, so I could finally return home to him when I pass on." Isolda indicated a headstone two over from Kyoko's that read "Isoroku Musashi Soryu 1932–1999."**

**"I don't need to cry anymore grandmother." Asuka said sternly.**

**"Liebchen, I know you're angry your momma is gone, but she's in a better place." Isolda told her stubborn granddaughter. "So, you don't have to be so brave, you're a child after all."**

**"I'm no longer a child." Asuka said. "I'll never cry again grandmother, I have to take care of myself now."**

**End Flashback**

"I'VE BEEN STUPID!" Asuka screamed. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I'VE BEEN VIOLATED ENOUGH! JUST LET ME DIE!"

**Flashback**

**Asuka wandered downstairs to the kitchen, where remembered she left the phone number. She looked up at the fridge and saw it had nothing on it. "Where the hell is it?" Asuka said aloud. "I left it right here."**

**Asuka stormed out of the kitchen and went to the living room to see a reclining Zelda watching some stupid TV program. "Did you see the phone number on the fridge?!" Asuka said loudly.**

**"Oh, look at that, you're actually out of your room." Zelda replied snarkily. "And I haven't seen anything on the fridge. Why don't you go ask your father, he's in his office."**

**"Fine, be useless and just lay there then." Asuka said as she stormed from the room. She stormed down the hallway towards her father's office and knocked hard on the door.**

**"Come in." Oscar said. When he looked up and saw Asuka seething in the doorway he was surprised. "Oh, you're talking to me again, are you?"**

**"No, I'm not. I just want to know where the phone number that was on the fridge went." Asuka said angrily. "I want to call my friend Shinji in Japan!"**

**"I got rid of the number, Asuka. I don't want you to call Shinji again." Oscar said, glaring at his daughter.**

**"NO!" Asuka bellowed. "Give me the number back! I want to call Shinji!" She glared right back at her father with tears glistening in her eyes. "HE'S MY FRIEND AND I WANT TO CALL HIM NOW!"**

**Oscar straightened his tie and looked at Asuka. "I found that number you're talking about on the fridge for someone named "Shinji" in Japan. I didn't just throw it out, I burned it Asuka. I don't want you to ever talk to those people again." Oscar said coldly to his daughter. "I don't want you to ever think about those people again."**

**Asuka started to cry when she heard this. "Why would you get rid of it? What did Shinji ever do to you?! He's the kindest person I've ever met in my life!" Asuka screamed. "It wasn't your decision to make to get rid of his phone number. It was mine, not yours! AND I WANT IT BACK RIGHT NOW!"**

**"ABSOLUTELY NOT, I FORBID IT! I AM YOUR FATHER AND I MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE STILL A CHILD!" Oscar slammed his fists down on his desk. "FORGET ABOUT SHINJI, AND FORGET ABOUT JAPAN. YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK THERE AGAIN! THE SOONER YOU ACCEPT THAT THE SOONER YOU CAN MOVE ON! TO YOU, SHINJI NO LONGER EXISTS." Oscar roared. "NOW STOP CRYING THIS INSTANT AND ACT LIKE A BIG GIRL!"**

**Asuka stopped crying only out of fear, but continued to glare menacingly at her father.**

**"That's better, now, I'm going to see your mother, and I'll be back later." Oscar said as he got up to leave.**

**"I hate you." Asuka said quietly as he walked past.**

**"What did you say to me?" Oscar asked angrily. "Would you care to repeat yourself?"**

**"Are you deaf?" Asuka asked. "I SAID I HATE YOU!"**

**End Flashback**

"I WAS WRONG, I DO NEED TO CRY!" Asuka shouted as she started to cry. "SHINJI, WHERE'S SHINJI?!" Asuka screamed. "I NEED SHINJI! SHINJI!"

–––

Shinji was sitting in Unit–01 listening to Asuka's horrific cries while Shinji overheard what happened to Rei's shot.

" _The shot… it just wasn't powerful enough…_ " Maya said. " _The A.T. Field deflected the shot entirely. It's just too powerful, and we're too far away…_ "

" _SHINJI, HELP ME!_ " Asuka screamed. " _PLEASE, SHINJI, SAVE ME AGAIN!_ "

"I'm tired of sitting here doing nothing!" Shinji shouted. "Misato, send me out there, now! Let me help her, NOW!"

" _Shinji, I don't have the authority to send Unit–01 out anymore._ " Misato said.

"Then talk to the stupid asshole who does!" Shinji shouted. "I'm tired of listening to her screams, let me do something to help her!"

" _I…_ " Misato started.

" _Do not bother, Colonel._ " Gendo said coolly. " _Unit–01 will not be sent out to deal with the Angel, we cannot lose Unit–01. This Angel has bored right into Asuka's mind, she is an acceptable loss. Two pilots is an unacceptable loss._ "

"ASUKA IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS!" Shinji roared. "I WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET HER DIE!"

" _You are not being sent out to fight, Shinji._ " Gendo said. " _Accept that. Rei… go and retrieve the object from Terminal Dogma._ " Gendo ordered.

" _Sir?_ " Rei asked. " _Is that the only weapon we can use?_ "

" _Yes, Rei, please retrieve it immediately._ " Gendo said.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR YOUR PLANS, FATHER! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT YOUR STUPID ASS ORDERS!" Shinji shouted so loudly that the speakers in Central Dogma got a buzz from the feedback. "I WILL NOT STAND BY AND WATCH THE GIRL I LOVE DIE IN FRONT OF ME, NOT WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE TO HELP HER!"

" _Shinji… you love… Asuka…_ " Misato mumbled.

" _He loves her…_ " Maya said. " _That's so sweet…_ "

"Yes I love her!" Shinji shouted. "I've loved her since I met her… and I'm tired of seeing her get hurt!" Shinji's eyes glowed. "I'M NOT LETTING IT HAPPEN ANYMORE!"

Unit–01's eyes lit up and its arms tensed as Shinji started to get really angry. Unit–01 began heating up and the ice on its armor began to melt away in a cloud of steam.

" _Colonel… Shinji's sync rate just shot up to 99%… and it's stable!_ " Maya reported. " _And Unit–01 is online again… S2 Engine is at maximum optimal output._ "

" _What?!_ " Misato shouted. " _How?!_ "

"EITHER YOU LET ME OUT OF HERE, OR I'LL MAKE MY OWN FUCKING DOOR!" Shinji shouted angrily. "YOUR CHOICE, FATHER!"

" _Never mind…_ " Misato said. " _Shinji got Unit–01 to react…_ "

" _Suppress Unit–01 immediately._ " Gendo ordered. " _It is not to leave this base._ "

" _Sir, we can't stop this…_ " Misato said.

" _At least make the attempt._ " Gendo said. " _You don't have choice._ "

"No, you don't have a choice!" Shinji shouted. "Now, you'll regret holding me in here!" Shinji slammed the control yokes forward. "Unit–01, its time to save Asuka!"

Unit–01 expanded its A.T. Field to maximum and ripped its cold storage Cage apart. The supports holding Unit–01 in place were blown apart by the force of the A.T. Field, and the ice had melted away from the armor, and Unit–01 began moving towards the door as its jaw restraints were broken once again, and Unit–01 let out a cry that shook the entire base. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

" _Someone stop him!_ " Gendo shouted. " _Stop him and Unit–01!_ "

Unit–01 approached the door of the Cage and slammed its fists into in, denting the door severely. It took several more hits to break the door down, but when Unit–01 got through its second obstacle, it clawed its way through the doorway and walked powerfully toward the launch elevators.

" _We can't, Commander._ " Misato said. " _Shinji is in control… all we can do is watch._ "

" _Is Unit–01 berserk?_ " Fuyutsuki asked.

" _No… Shinji is in complete control._ " Maya reported. " _Unit–01 is under his complete control, and all controls signals are being blocked at the transmitter as well…_ "

" _Damn it…_ " Gendo muttered.

Unit–01 made it to the elevators and stood on one of the pads.

"Misato, either get me a launch path or I make my own!" Shinji said.

" _Maya… launch him._ " Misato ordered.

" _Belay that._ " Gendo countered.

" _Commander, do we really need more damage to base?_ " Misato asked.

" _Ikari she has a point._ " Fuyutsuki said. " _Let him launch._ "

" _Maya, launch him._ " Misato said.

" _Copy that, Colonel._ " Maya said. " _Shinji, are you ready?_ "

"I'm ready, Maya!" Shinji said. "Do it!"

" _Path cleared and set._ " Maya said.

" _Unit–01… LAUNCH!_ " Misato said.

" _Go and save her, puppy…_ " Mari said. " _I know you can do it._ "

–––

Asuka was sitting naked on a playground. She was crying into her hands uncontrollably with her legs clutched against her body. A small figure appeared, a young Asuka, dressed like she was when she found Kyoko's body, with blood on her shoes and socks. The little Asuka poked Asuka in the leg as she started to speak.

" _Hello, Asuka… I'm Arael…_ " Arael said. " _How are you feeling?_ "

"I don't give a fuck what your name is… go away…" Asuka said. "Leave me alone…"

" _Why would I leave you alone, Asuka?_ " Arael said. " _I'm the one trying to hurt you… I'm trying to rape your mind and break you…_ "

"I said leave me alone!" Asuka shouted. "I don't want to talk to you!"

" _Why would I go away?_ " Arael said. " _That would leave the great Asuka Langley Soryu all alone without anyone to care about her stupid arrogant ass._ "

"I'm not alone…" Asuka said. "I have friends…"

" _You mean the friends who have failed to assist your worthless ass?_ " Arael said. " _They don't care about you… they laugh at you._ "

"No, they care about me!" Asuka shouted back. "Shinji cares about me!"

" _Oh… you mean the boy you're in love with?_ " Arael asked. " _The boy who won't even get the courage to ask you out… the little bitch who you treat like a lap dog._ "

"SHINJI IS NOT A BITCH!" Asuka shouted. "HE'S THE KINDEST PERSON I KNOW!"

" _Oh, do you mean the tea this morning to help those little cramps of yours?_ " Arael said menacingly. " _Where you decided you would finally ask him out… that's adorable… he's not even here to save you. That EVA of his… it's still sitting there, doing nothing… he doesn't care about you at all you stupid girl, he never did and he never will…_ "

"You're lying!" Asuka shouted. "His number… I had his number!"

" _Very good…_ " Arael said. " _But you still don't know… how sad… but I won't show you those happy memories… you don't deserve them…_ "

"What memories?!" Asuka shouted. "I met Shinji a year ago!"

" _Oh, that is so cute._ " Arael " _You don't even remember the truth… it's so buried in your fucked up mind trying to hide from find poor crazy momma's body in a pool of her own blood after she slit her crazy throat._ "

"Shut up!" Asuka screamed. "I don't believe you! You're lying to me!"

" _You can think that all you want, sweetheart…_ " Arael said menacingly. " _But they are your memories after all… perhaps some things shouldn't have been forgotten, but then again, you are just a stupid girl…_ "

"GO TO HELL!" Asuka screamed. "YOU'RE A LYING BITCH!"

" _Believe what you want, Asuka…_ " Arael said. " _I'm not the one hiding from the truth…_ "

"SHUT… UP!" Asuka screamed.

–––

Unit–01 arrived on the surface. It no longer required a power cable due to its new and stolen S2 Engine. Unit–01 stare down the beam of light that was still causing Unit–02 to writhe in pain.

" _SOMEONE HELP ME!_ " Asuka screamed.

"Asuka!" Shinji screamed. "I'm here, I'm going to save you!" Shinji slammed his control yokes forward. "Let's go!"

Unit–01 ran forward towards the beam and jumped in front of it, arms outstretched. The beam was interrupted for a moment before it passed right through Unit–01 and went through Unit–02.

Shinji felt an intense pain in his head, and clutched it tightly between his hands. "WHAT IS THIS!?" Shinji screamed. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?"

" _Shinji, report._ " Misato said.

"MY HEAD!" Shinji shouted. "I FEEL LIKE ITS BEING BORED INTO!"

" _Shinji, get out of there!_ " Misato pleaded.

"I'M NOT LEAVING ASUKA!" Shinji shouted. "I'LL SAVE HER EVEN IF IT KILLS ME, MISATO! NOTHING YOU CAN SAY WILL CHANGE MY MIND!"

" _Puppy, don't listen to Misato!_ " Mari said. " _Do whatever it takes to save her!_ "

" _Mari, shut the hell up!_ " Misato said. " _I don't want to lose him again!_ "

" _He loves her, miso!_ " Mari said. " _Just let him save her so they can finally be together! Don't mess this up for him!_ "

" _Fine… Shinji, just be careful._ " Misato said.

"I'LL DO WHAT I CAN!" Shinji shouted. "ASUKA, PLEASE HOLD ON!"

–––

Shinji appeared on a playground. He saw two people in front of him. One was a young girl with bright red hair, and the other looked like Asuka sitting in the fetal position.

"Asuka?" Shinji asked.

Asuka looked up. "Shinji?" Asuka asked. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it is Asuka…" Shinji said.

" _Who are you?_ " Arael asked in her guise as the young Asuka.

"I'm Shinji, who the hell are you." Shinji asked.

" _I'm the one who's about to rape your mind and find what I want…_ " Arael said as she advanced on Shinji and raised her hand. " _Why is it not working… why can't I dive into your mind and rip you apart like the bitch behind me._ "

Shinji punched the little girl and knocked her onto the ground. "Don't talk about her like that! I love her!"

" _What is love?_ " Arael asked. " _Is that what's blocking me from doing anything?_ "

"What kind of person doesn't know what love is?" Shinji asked.

" _I'm not human, stupid boy._ " Arael said.

"So, you're the Angel." Shinji said. "What's your name?"

" _Ah… you're the one Leliel had contact with…_ " Arael muttered. " _I'm Arael… and you've killed many of my brothers and sisters._ "

"Yeah, and I never learned their names." Shinji said. "What does it matter to you?"

" _You killed them._ " Arael said. " _So, I will kill you._ "

"Then do it." Shinji said. "Finish me off."

Arael got up slowly and raised her hand, but it did nothing. " _Why can't I hurt you?_ " Arael said. " _What… what are you?! All I find in your mind are happy memories, your minds, they're linked somehow!_ "

"So… you can't hurt us?" Shinji asked.

" _It appears not…_ " Arael said. " _Whatever bond you have is stronger than my power…_ "

"Good." Shinji said. "You'll be dead soon enough, I know my friends will kill you." Shinji walked over to Asuka. "Asuka, are you ok?"

"Shinji… it's really you?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah it is." Shinji said and then he realized she was naked and closed his eyes. "Sorry, I didn't know…"

"About what?" Asuka asked. She didn't look up at him, but kept her face buried in her hands. "Shinji… why are you here?"

"I… I…" Shinji stammered. "I love you Asuka…"

Asuka looked up. "What are you talking about?"

"Asuka… I came here to save you…" Shinji said shyly. "Because I… I love you…"

"How can you love a loser like me?" Asuka asked.

"Because I don't think you're a loser." Shinji said as he opened his eyes back up and looked at Asuka. "Here, let's get out of here." Shinji extended his hand. "Let's go home."

Asuka looked up at Shinji with a confused look on her face. "Do you really mean it?"

"I mean all of it, Asuka." Shinji said. "I've told you more than once, I'd never lie to you."

Asuka reached up and took Shinji's hand. "Then let's go…" Asuka said.

As Shinji helped her up, a warm feeling passed between them.

"Shinji… what is that?" Asuka asked.

"I… I don't know, Asuka…" Shinji said. "But why does my head feel warm."

Asuka felt dizzy too. "My head hurts too… but not like before… are you seeing things too, Shinji?"

"It's like an old movie…" Shinji muttered.

**Flashback**

**As Asuka and Kyoko approached, they saw several figures come through the door. One was a tall man with a stern face and glasses, the second was an old man with graying hair and white lab coat the female of the group was shorter than both men, shoulder length brown hair, and slender figure in a lab coat and she was holding hands with the final member of the group, a young boy with brown hair, cobalt eyes, and a very wide smile.**

**The group approached Asuka and Kyoko as the female of the group called out to them. "Kyoko! How are you?!" Yui shouted, moving a little faster with the boy in tow.**

**"I'm fine, Yui, how have you been?" Kyoko responded quickening her own pace to see her friend.**

**As the two groups approached each other, Asuka's shoelace came loose, and tripped her up. She fell down hard, and skinned her knee. "Owww!" Asuka yelled as she felt her knee and saw the blood.**

**Kyoko turned to see Asuka on the ground. "Asuka, are you ok?" Kyoko asked.**

**"No, I'm not!" Asuka wailed. "My knee hurts and I'm bleeding." Asuka shouted as she started to cry, clutching her tiny knee.**

**The young boy broke free of his mother's grip and ran forward. He pulled something from his pocket and opened it. It was a large Band–Aid. The boy applied it to Asuka's knee, and then kissed the freshly applied Band–Aid. When he did this, Asuka's crying stopped, and she looked at him in a puzzled fashion. "What did you do that for?" Asuka asked.**

**"To make it stop hurting." The boy said, as he reached out his tiny hand. "Do you need some help up?" He asked.**

**"Yes, please." Asuka sniveled as the boy helped her up to her feet. "Thank you." Asuka said as she smiled at the boy.**

**"You're welcome." The boy said happily.**

**"So, what's your name?" Asuka asked him.**

**"I'm Shinji Ikari. What's your name?" Shinji replied.**

**"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, it's a pleasure to meet you Shinji Ikari." Asuka said happily as she hugged him. "That was a thank you for helping my knee feel better."**

**"I just wanted to help. I don't like to see other people being sad. It makes me sad." Shinji said, blushing slightly. "I like helping others, Soryu–san."**

**"Well, that makes you a nice person, Shinji Ikari." Asuka said kindly as she grabbed his hand. "Come on, you can help me some more by walking around with me." Asuka said as she pulled Shinji with her towards the adults.**

**End Flashback**

"Shinji, what… what is this?" Asuka asked.

"I… I don't know…" Shinji replied as another memory flashed before them.

**Flashback**

**Asuka and Shinji were still sitting on the couch next each other as they finished the game. Asuka tossed her controller gently towards the TV in celebration.**

**"Wow, Shinji, we completely beat the game! You did a good job too!" Asuka said, patting Shinji on the back.**

**"Thanks, Asuka, you really did most of the work though, and you told me what to do when I needed help." Shinji said quietly.**

**"I didn't do all the work, silly Shinji." Asuka said. "But, did you have fun?"**

**"Well… um… yeah I did." Shinji said, looking up at her.**

**"Then that's all that matters." Asuka said, poking his shoulder. "Besides, you did do your share. You don't play videogames, I wasn't expecting you to be really good, just to try your hardest. That's all that matters."**

**Shinji smiled. "Thanks Asuka."**

**"It's no problem Shinji." Asuka said as she looked over at the lone clock in the room. "Wow, it's so late, I wonder where our moms are?"**

**Shinji shrugged. "They probably just got busy is all. They have experiments in a few weeks, right?"**

**"You're probably right." Asuka said. "So, what should we do now?"**

**"I'm not sure." Shinji said. "Why don't we just sit here and talk."**

**"I'd like that, Shinji." Asuka said. "So what do you want to talk about?"**

**"I'm not sure." Asuka said shrugging her shoulders. "Can't we just sit here and enjoy each other's company?" She said as she leaned back against the couch.**

**"Sure, Asuka, I'd like that." Shinji said.**

**After a few minutes of silence, Asuka got bored and decided they should talk instead. "Shinji, what do you do for fun?" Asuka looked over at him. Shinji, had started to doze off, so Asuka decided to wake him up. "SHINJI, WAKE UP!"**

**Shinji jumped up so fast he fell off the couch onto the floor. "Huh?! Wha…?!" Shinji stammered as he picked himself up off the floor. His face was red, and he was breathing heavily. "Asuka, don't scare me like that."**

**"Sorry, Shinji, I thought you were asleep." Asuka reached out her hand to help him up. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just decided I wanted to talk."**

**"It's ok, Asuka, I know you didn't want me fall off the couch." Shinji said, as he got back on the couch. "But you could've just shaken me instead."**

**Asuka hugged Shinji. "I'm sorry Shinji, can you forgive me."**

**"I said it was ok, Asuka, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you." Shinji said. "Now what did you want to talk to me about?"**

**"I can't remember now." Asuka said, shrugging. "But we already played some videogames, so why don't we do something you want to do."**

**"I'm still not sure what to do." Shinji said as he looked over at her. "But, thanks Asuka, for being so nice to me." Shinji said shyly, as he blushed. 'She's so nice to me even though my dad's the boss. It's nice to have someone to talk to.' Shinji thought.**

**"Shinji why do you keep thanking me for being nice?" Asuka asked.**

**"Well, uh, I guess I'm not used to it is all." Shinji said. "Most kids avoid me, or don't really talk to me." Shinji said. "That's why I read, no one can bother me. I'm actually glad my dad took me out of daycare, at least if I'm alone no one can ignore me."**

**"Why would you say that Shinji…" Asuka looked sadly at Shinji. "Do people really treat you like that, Shinji?"**

**"Yeah, but that's how it's always been. I'm used to it." Shinji said sadly.**

**"It's not right though!" Asuka protested. "They shouldn't treat you that way just because you're different." Asuka's eyes started to tear up. "It's just not fair!"**

**Shinji had a concerned look on his face. "Asuka, what wrong? Are you ok?"**

**"Wha…?" Asuka said as tears started to stream down her cheeks.**

**"Asuka, why are you crying, did I do something wrong?" Shinji said. He looked very worried about her. Was it something I said?**

**"I'm crying because what you said reminded me of home!" Asuka shouted. "Nobody wants to talk to me when I'm home because I'm different."**

**"Is it your hair?" Shinji asked innocently. "I know I've never seen anyone else with hair like that. It's very pretty, are they jealous of it?" He stammered.**

**Asuka's crying lessened as Shinji spoke. "That's the only thing you can see that's different?" Asuka asked.**

**"Well, yeah, that and you're a girl." Shinji replied matter–of–factly.**

**'I'm a quarter Japanese and three quarters German, and he only notices my hair…' Asuka thought. 'I guess not everyone treats people differently for not being like them…' Asuka dried her remaining tears and spoke. "Yeah, Shinji, they don't like me because of my hair." She said reassuringly.**

**"Well, that's mean. Just because you look different doesn't make you less of a person." Shinji said as he put his arm around Asuka. "I like your hair, Asuka. I looks nice."**

**Asuka chuckled and leaned against Shinji. "Thanks Shinji, you're a good friend."**

**"Wait, this… makes us friends?" Shinji asked nervously.**

**"Of course it does, silly Shinji." Asuka said. "I'll be the best friend you'll ever have!"**

**"I'd like that, Asuka." Shinji said.**

**"Of course you'd like that, I'm the greatest person you'll ever meet!" Asuka said proudly.**

**Shinji smiled. "Well, then, seeing as you're the greatest, Asuka, what should we do now." He asked.**

**"I guess we should just keep talking so we don't fall asleep." Asuka replied.**

**End Flashback**

Asuka looked at Shinji. "Shinji… is this…"

"I think it is Asuka…" Shinji replied. "These are our… memories…"

**Flashback**

**Several hours later, as light came down onto the Geofront through the still open hole above them, Asuka stirred. 'What am I sleeping on?' She thought. Asuka opened her eyes, and realized that Shinji was still next to her, and that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. 'This is nice, he's so comfy.' Asuka thought as she snuggled up against him.**

**Shinji stirred when he felt something move on his shoulder. He looked down and saw he was sleeping next to Asuka. His body tensed up a bit, and he started to blush. 'I barely know her, and we fell asleep next to each other, how weird.' Shinji thought. 'But, still, for some reason it feels nice to be next to her.'**

**The two stayed silent and oblivious to each other being awake until the door opened to reveal Yui and Kyoko. "Good morning kids!" Kyoko called. "Are you awake?!"**

**"Ten more minutes, momma, I'm comfortable." Asuka groaned.**

**"No, Asuka, you have to get up and take a shower." Kyoko said.**

**"The same goes for you, young man." Yui said.**

**"Please momma, just five more minutes?" Asuka asked.**

**Yui and Kyoko smiled at each other. "Asuka, you have to get up, and then we can go to breakfast with Shinji and Yui, ok?"**

**Asuka contemplated the offer for a moment, and then replied. "Ok, momma, I'll get up. But I get to sit next to him at breakfast!" Asuka said as she looked over at Shinji. "As long as Shinji doesn't mind…"**

**"I don't mind." Shinji said shyly, a slight rosy hue on his cheeks. "It sounds like fun…"**

**"Then it's settled, we'll all go to breakfast together after the kids shower!" Yui said excitedly. "It'll be a lot of fun!"**

**"Ok, dial the happiness back from '11' Spinal Tap." Kyoko said sarcastically.**

**"Alright, Kyoko, no need to be so sarcastic." Yui said.**

**"Yeah there is, Yui. It's because it's fun." Kyoko said. "See you guys in a little while."**

**"See you in a little while, Shinji!" Asuka called.**

**"Bye, Asuka." Shinji said. "Have a fun shower."**

**"Shinji, you can't say that to a girl!" Asuka shouted.**

**"Why not? Showers are fun." Shinji said innocently.**

**End Flashback**

"How did I not remember all this?" Asuka said. "Shinji… why did we not know? Our moms… knew each other…"

"I don't know…" Shinji said. "Mother…"

"Momma…" Asuka muttered.

**Flashback**

**Meanwhile, next to the adults, two children were saying their goodbyes.**

**"Asuka, I'm going to miss you." Shinji said quietly looking down at the ground.**

**"I'm going to miss you too, Shinji." Asuka replied, looking just as depressed. "But we're going to talk on the phone, right?"**

**"Yeah, Asuka, just like our mom's do." Shinji said sullenly.**

**"Well then, I guess we don't have to be so sad then." Asuka said with a slight grin on her face. "So stop looking so sad."**

**"I guess." Shinji said, as he rubbed his foot on the ground. "Asuka, before you leave, can we hug again?" Shinji said as he blushed.**

**"Sure, Shinji, I'd like that." Asuka said as she wrapped her arms around Shinji and pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm glad we met, Shinji."**

**Shinji reciprocated the hug. "I'm glad we met too, Asuka. I can't wait to see you again."**

**Yui and Kyoko had stopped talking to see the children hugging.**

**"Make sure you bring her back with you the next time you come to Japan, Kyoko. The kids are clearly good friends." Yui said.**

**"I will, Yui." Kyoko said, hugging Yui tightly. "After the contact experiment, we'll come back for a visit, and the kids can play together again."**

**"I think Asuka would like that a lot. She was so upset to leave. But I promised her she could call Shinji whenever she wanted." Kyoko said.**

**"Smart idea, Kyoko. Hold on a sec…" Yui took a notebook and pen out of her pocket. She wrote down her phone number and wrote Shinji underneath it. Yui ripped the paper out of the notebook and knelt down next to Asuka. "Asuka, here, this is for you."**

**"What is it?" Asuka said looking puzzled and not breaking the hug with Shinji.**

**"It's Shinji's phone number, so you can call him when you feel lonely." Yui said kindly. "Just remember there is a time difference, so you have to ask your mom if it's ok to call."**

**"I promise, Frau Ikari." Asuka said taking the paper in her hand.**

**The VTOL was finishing its final prep for takeoff, the fuel lines were being disconnected, and the launch pad was being cleared.**

**Kyoko looked over at the awaiting aircraft. "Asuka, we have to go now." She said gently.**

**Asuka looked forlorn when she let go of Shinji. "Ok, momma." She replied. "I guess this is goodbye, Shinji."**

**"Bye, Asuka." Shinji said quietly. "Call me soon, ok?"**

**"It's a promise, silly Shinji." Asuka said playfully.**

**"Aren't they cute together, Yui?" Kyoko said.**

**"I know, right?" Yui replied as the two started to walk towards the waiting VTOL.**

**End Flashback**

"Shinji…" Asuka said. "What do all those memories mean?"

"I think it means we met before, Asuka…" Shinji replied.

"How… how did I forget?" Asuka said absent mindedly. "How could I not remember my only friend was you? I was so… stupid…"

"Asuka… I forgot too…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing?" Asuka asked. "I was the stupid one, I forgot! I never forget anything!"

" _Ah… now this is getting good._ " Arael said, walking over to the pair. " _Go ahead, Asuka… tell him how you still remember the day you found your mother's dead body lying in a pool of her own blood, or that time your mother tried to strangle you… or the fact your mother couldn't even remember you were her daughter…_ "

"SHUT UP!" Asuka screamed. "I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THAT!"

" _Of course you don't, so you suppress everything that happened before then…_ " Arael said sickeningly. " _You did it the easy way… nothing happened before your mother died, and you forgot all about who your friend was… like a stupid useless bitch._ "

"She is not a useless bitch!" Shinji shouted. "Leave her ALONE!"

" _Why… you can't leave here._ " Arael said. " _You can only leave if you kill you me… and considering how far away I am… I don't see you being able to kill me like you did my brothers and sisters… you are powerless…_ "

"You're not safe you Angel freak!" Asuka shouted as she started laughing manically. "Yeah, well my friend here… he's lucky… luck follows him around… they'll kill you… because Shinji can't die… he's immune…"

" _Do you really believe that?_ " Arael asked. " _Do you honestly believe that?_ "

"Of course I do… that's why I'm not worthy of him…" Asuka said. "Do you honestly believe you're safe?"

"Asuka, what are you… talking about?" Shinji asked.

" _Oh… go on… tell him Asuka._ " Arael said. " _Tell him what you mean._ "

"I'm not telling him on front of you…" Asuka said. "So die already! Someone kill this bitch already!"

"Don't worry…" Shinji said. "I know Rei or Mari will this thing."

" _And why are you so confident?_ " Arael asked. " _You're not out there to kill me… I'm far more afraid of your track record…_ "

"Well, our friends would do anything to save us." Shinji said. "So you're not going to last too much longer."

–––

Mari walked into Central Dogma in her plugsuit. She deactivated her Evangelion without orders and rushed to see what was going on. Mari saw Misato gripping the back of Maya's chair, and she saw Kaji leaning casually on the wall nearby. Mari looked at the main screen to see Unit–01 and Unit–02 trapped in Arael's beam.

"Hey, Miso…" Mari said. "Where's the blueberry?"

"What are you doing in here?" Ritsuko shouted. "You should be in your EVA!"

"Shove a stick in it, you self–righteous cunt." Mari said angrily. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Why you…" Ritsuko said as she advanced on Mari, but she was stopped by the timely intervention of Kaji.

"No, no." Kaji said. "You're not hitting anyone, Ritsuko… I think it's time to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." Ritsuko said. "My job is important!"

"You're not needed here, Dr. Akagi. You are replaceable." Gendo said from above. "Mr. Kaji, remove her immediately."

"Sure thing, boss man." Kaji said. "Come on, now Ritsuko… let's go."

"Get your hands off of me!" Ritsuko shouted. "I'll leave."

"Mari, she was right, why are you here." Misato said.

"Like I was doing anything sitting there and waiting for launch orders that aren't going to come." Mari said sarcastically. "I wanted to see what was happening."

"Well, Rei is retrieving some kind of weapon from below." Misato said. "I have no idea what weapon could be down there…"

"Unit–00 is back within visual range." Hyuga said. "It has some kind of spear…"

"Where did that come from?!" Misato shouted as she saw the spear she last saw moments before Second Impact started. "Why is that thing here, Commander?!"

"Colonel, it was recovered some time ago." Gendo said. "We stored it in Terminal Dogma for safe keeping. We are using it now to destroy the Angel. Lieutenant Ibuki, clear a launch path for Unit–00 immediately."

"Yes, sir." Maya said.

"Miso… what is that thing?" Mari asked.

"Mari, not now." Misato said.

"I wanna know, miso." Mari insisted as she poked Misato in the neck. "Tell me!"

"Fine…" Misato said as she leaned down to Mari's ear. "Mari… that spear… the Spear of Longinus…" Misato whispered. "It helped start Second Impact…"

"Is that thing even safe?" Mari whispered back. "I mean… could it cause Third Impact?"

"Well… it could… and no…" Misato said. "No it's not safe…"

–––

Unit–00 arrived on the surface after being launched holding the spear. Rei moved the Evangelion into position and held the spear tightly.

" _Rei, are you ready?_ " Misato asked. " _We're sending you the tracking data now._ "

"Do not send me the data." Rei said. "I will do this without assistance."

" _Rei, you can't do that._ " Misato said. " _You need the data to throw the spear._ "

"I do not." Rei said. "I will do it without assistance."

" _Rei!_ " Misato said. " _This is an order!_ "

"Shinji killed the Fifth Angel without any tracking data, Asuka fired on this Angel and hit the target…" Rei said sternly. "I will do this without assistance."

" _Damn it, Rei!_ " Misato said angrily. " _What are you trying to prove?_ "

"That I am more than capable of killing an Angel on my own." Rei said. "I will do this on my own, please allow me to save my friends on my own."

" _Fine, Rei, just remember you only have one shot._ " Misato said.

"I am aware, Colonel." Rei said. "I will not miss."

Unit–00 prepped itself to throw the spear. It lifted the spear above his head and cocked it back with its right arm. Rei aimed for where the light was coming from. Unit–00 then started to move backwards several hundred yards. The spear, sensing it was about to be thrown twirled its bident form into a twisted shape that matched the rest of it.

"Take this." Rei said angrily. "And leave my friends alone."

With the spear at the ready, Unit–00 moved forward and at the point where Unit–00 had originally taken aim, spun around in a circle three times and as the spear lined up on the third rotation, threw the spear with all the strength Unit–00 and Rei could muster, and spear shot off to the heavens. Right after it was released, it broke the sound barrier. IT shot through the clouds and entered orbit in seconds. It came upon Arael, who deployed her A.T. Field to defend herself, but it didn't matter. The spear untwirled to reveal its bident head, right as it passed through the A.T. Field like it wasn't even there, and ripped through Arael's body, killing the Angel in a single, decisive blow. A cross shaped explosion lit up the night sky as the spear passed through the explosion and collided with the Moon, implanting itself into the ground.

Rei looked on as the explosion back lit the clouds and the beam that had been trapping Unit–01 and Unit–02 disappeared. Rei smiled slightly and looked over at her friends' Evangelions as they stopped struggling and shut down.

"Colonel…" Rei said. "Unit–01 and Unit–02 are down. Send rescue teams immediately. They appeared to be in distress until they shut down."

" _We can't Rei._ " Misato said. " _They may be contaminated. Return to base immediately._ "

"I will not return to base until they are safely recovered." Rei said. "I will watch over them until they are safe. I owe them that."

" _Rei, you can't stay out there forever._ " Misato said. " _You aren't needed out there._ "

" _Miso, let her stay out there!_ " Mari said angrily. " _They're defenseless otherwise…_ "

" _Fine… Rei…_ " Misato said. " _Please be careful._ "

"Thank you, Mari." Rei said.

–––

Asuka was inside her darkened Entry Plug. She was in the fetal position, crying. Moments before she had been holding Shinji's hand, and was now, after Rei killed Arael, completely and utterly alone. She didn't even notice that there was a warm feeling enveloping her comfortingly. Even though she could not hear her, her mother was trying to connect to her the way Yui had attempted with Shinji so long ago.

' _Asuka… I know you can't hear me._ ' Kyoko thought soothingly. ' _I know you had a rough day, and that your heart is too closed from seeing me lying on the ground dead to do anything… but you have to tell Shinji how you feel… you have to explain everything… Asuka… just so you know… when you're ready… when your heart is finally open… I will be here to help you the same way Yui has helped Shinji before… I will let you tap into the true power of this monster… and defeat anything that stand sin your path…_ ' Kyoko smiled as she stroked Asuka's hair. ' _I love you, Asuka… and I am so sorry I left you… but you have Shinji and one of my best friends protecting you… Mari will keep you safe… just like Shinji will… I have faith you'll be just fine… you just need to open up, Asuka._ ' Kyoko kissed Asuka on her forehead and frowned as she saw the girl continue to cry. ' _Goodbye sweet girl… please feel better soon…_ '

* * *

September 16, 2016 – NERV HQ

Gendo was sitting in a room surrounded by the Human Instrumentality Committee. He had his hands folded over his face, and he was smirking behind his guise of looking serious.

"Do you have a reason for using the Spear of Longinus in such an egregious fashion?!" Keel asked angrily.

"I did what needed to be done." Gendo said plainly. "The Angel was in a high orbit, beyond any weapons we had at our disposal, except the spear."

"So you used it without authorization?!" Bayuski shouted.

"I did not have time to listen to the five of you debate the finer points of using the spear or not." Gendo said. "I made a decision under the authority you gave me, it is as simple as that, the Angel is dead and the mission was a success."

"How would you call it a success?!" Pinnafore asked gruffly. "The Spear of Longinus is now buried in the Moon's surface!"

"It was an acceptable loss considering that we killed the Angel." Gendo said. "It is certainly more palatable than losing two Evangelions and their pilots." Gendo smiled behind his hands again. "Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss? I do have an organization to run, I cannot waste all my time going over the intricate details of this incident."

"You will not leave here until we have cleared you to leave!" Godot said.

"I doubt that." Gendo said. "So, is there anything else, or will you all continue to shout questions in my direction."

"I do have one other question for you, Ikari." Keel said. "What made you think that using the spear would go unnoticed?"

"I never thought it would." Gendo replied as he stood up to leave. "I thought it to be inconsequential considering that the Angels override all other directives I am given by your committee. There is no way to retrieve the spear at present, so it is simply gone, it's not that it had any other use than to kill an Angel."

Before any of them could respond, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He stood facing Fuyutsuki who was smiling slightly.

"So, Ikari…" Fuyutsuki said. "How did they take the news?"

"As well as I assumed they would." Gendo said. "They are not happy that the instrument of their plan has gone the way of the Moon… unreachable and unusable for what they need it for. Understandably, it pushes their plans back once again until they find a solution."

"How long have we pushed them back this time?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"At least six to seven months." Gendo said. "If not more. But we have to be ready the base needs to be protected against anything SEELE may plan to throw at us."

"What do you think they will try?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"They are capable of anything, they have all the power they want." Gendo said. "They could turn the government or military against us and try to take the base."

"So, they would attack us with the might of the military?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes, I need you to move some things around in the budget to hide our expenses." Gendo said. "Increase the costs to repair and maintain the Evangelions, get us more money and then shift it to base defenses. That is how we'll defend ourselves."

"I'll get right on it." Fuyutsuki said. "But what if Akagi gets in the way?"

"She doesn't need to know anything's been changed." Gendo said. "Remove her access to the system, call it a suspension of privileges for her behavior yesterday."

"I'll get I done, Commander." Fuyutsuki said as they walked away.

–––

It had been over 10 hours since the battle had ended. Unit–01 and Unit–02 were scanned from top to bottom while it was determined that there was absolutely no physical contamination on the Evangelions. Ritsuko had ordered the overly long winded tests as revenge against Asuka. Unit–00 had stayed there the whole time, watching the proceedings and making sure they were safe. So, after that time, Shinji and Asuka were pulled from their EVAs and placed inside a taped off area marked for quarantine.

As Unit–00 was lowered below the surface, Shinji sat on one side of the zone, and Asuka stood staring at him from the other side. She glared angrily at him while he sat quietly, avoiding her gaze.

"Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Look at me!"

"What is it, Asuka?" Shinji said tiredly.

"I need to ask you something, baka!" Asuka said.

Shinji stood up and walked over to Asuka. "What is it?" Shinji asked. "Is it about what we saw… or what I said…"

"Why do you love me…" Asuka asked quietly.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"What are you, deaf?!" Asuka shouted. "I said, tell me why you love me!" Asuka shoved him. "I don't believe you! You're lying to me! Everyone lies to me!"

"I'm not lying to you, Asuka!" Shinji shouted back. "I meant it when I shouted to everyone that I love you!"

"What do you mean you told everyone?!" Asuka shouted. "Do you mean that I'm the last person to find out?!"

"No…" Shinji started. "I've wanted to tell you for a while…"

"Bullshit!" Asuka shouted in response. "Why the hell would you love me?! I'm not good enough for you, you can do better! I don't deserve anyone as nice as you! How can you love a pathetic shithead like me?!"

"I don't know why…. I just do!" Shinji shouted empathically.

"Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit!" Asuka screeched. "You always come to my fucking rescue, and I'm not fucking helpless, I can do shit on my own! You have to know why you love me, otherwise you're just lying to me to make me feel better!"

"No, I want to help you Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "I want to help you because I love you! I don't want to see you get hurt, I just can't stand it! Every time it happens, I just get so damn mad! Why do you think I jumped into a volcano?! Why do you think I tried hard with that sync dance?! Why do you think I came back when the Fourteenth Angel attacked?! How do you think I was able to get out of the Core?! All because I love you! I couldn't stand to see you get hurt anymore because of my inaction! I wanted to impress you, I just wanted you to notice me… you're the same redhead from my dreams! The one I lost so many years ago… that little girl I fell in love with back then was you… and I've been feeling it all along! I fell back in love with you on the _Over the Rainbow_ … I knew deep down who you were, we both did! I couldn't even remember it until now, that entire day was wonderful… and then we just lost contact! I just wanted someone that loves me back to notice me! My mother's dead and gone, my father hates me, and so do you! The girl I love hates me! What do you have to say about that?!"

Asuka caught herself before she shouted back, she had tears in her eyes as she remembered the day they spent together. She looked up at Shinji, who was already starting to cry. "I don't… I don't hate you Shinji…" Asuka said sadly. "I hate myself…" Asuka wiped her face. "But Shinji… I love you too…"

"What?" Shinji asked.

"I said I love you!" Asuka shouted. "But I don't deserve you, I can't protect you like you protect me, I'm not worthy of anyone as wonderful as you! I didn't deserve you back then, and I don't deserve you now!"

"What are you talking about?!" Shinji asked.

"I hate myself for letting you get hurt by the last Angel!" Asuka shouted. "I hate myself for not remembering I met you! And I hate myself for forgetting that we were friends, and that I was mad I couldn't call you anymore!"

"Asuka… I didn't remember either!" Shinji shouted back. "Stop blaming yourself! Things happened to us that made us forget, it's not our fault!"

"NO!" Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs as she held back her tears. "I REMEMBER EVERYTHING! I CAN'T FORGET THINGS THAT I WANT TO FORGET! I SAW MY MOTHER'S DEAD BODY AFTER SHE SLIT HER OWN THROAT! I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES, I CAN'T FORGET IT… IT'S BURNED INTO MY MIND! BUT I FORGOT ABOUT YOU! I DON'T DESERVE SOMEONE I FORGOT ABOUT! FORGET ABOUT ME, SHINJI, I'M NOT WORTH IT!"

"Asuka, I don't care about that!" Shinji shouted. "I only care about you! Talk to me, Asuka, we can figure this out… just don't… DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE MY FATHER DID!" Shinji broke down and started crying. "Don't leave me… don't abandon me… please… I knew this would happen when I told you… I knew you'd never want me…"

"Shinji… I just can't be with you!" Asuka shouted. "I need… I need time to figure all this out! I remember so much stuff now, I… my mother worked on Unit–02! She made it, she designed it! And now I find out your mom worked with mine! They were friends! What does that mean?!"

"My mother created Unit–01!" Shinji shouted back. "I saw her die! You're not the only one hiding things, Asuka!"

"I'm not hiding anything!" Asuka shouted back again. "I just can't be with you… I'm not… I'm not ready! I can't do this with all these things to think about! That Angel fucked with my head, I can't trust anything anymore! I need tome to figure all this out! Just leave me alone Shinji!"

"But… Asuka… I love you!" Shinji said as he kept crying. "Doesn't that mean anything?! Does that mean you don't think we knew each other?!"

"I don't know what it means!" Asuka screamed. "I can't be with you until you I figure everything out!" Asuka stopped screaming and lowered her voice as she started to calm herself down. "If you truly love me, you'll give me time to do that… if not… then I'll know you were lying all along…"

"Asuka…" Shinji said. "I'll do anything for you… please believe me when I say that… I really do love you… and I don't want to lose you…"

"I'm sorry Shinji…" Asuka mumbled to herself. "You love me when you should hate me… baka… you haven't changed a bit…"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 99.0% (+25.4%)  
Mari – 71.0% (+3.9%)  
Rei – 68.4% (+5.8%)  
Asuka – 21.8% (-42.0%)

So, a few things happen this chapter, Shinji shouts his love from Unit–01 and pulls off a 99% sync score to break out and assist her. He then faces Arael with her and they learn of their shared childhood memories, the ones of their first meeting, and then Asuka shouts at him and tearfully tells him that she loves him too, but can't accept his love because she needs time to process everything she saw.

Sorry for all the flashbacks as well, but this chapter was going to end up being very flashback heavy considering what Asuka had to endure. Basically all the flashbacks come from various chapters in Episode III. If you're interested in the whole story behind some of those scenes, look to chapters 2, 7, & 11 ( _When Shinji Met Asuka…_ , _Raggedy Asuka_ , and Isolation and Rage respectively) for more information.

So, this chapter also fulfills the wish that Asuka had way back in Episode IV, Chapter 1. Arael was the "shooting star" Asuka wished upon, and her wish below:

**– Asuka saw the one on the left first and made a wish. 'That friend I forgot about… I wish I can find him again, please… that's all I want, even if I won't admit it to anyone.' Asuka thought happily. –**

So basically, the friend she forgot was Shinji, and with Shinji jumping into the beam, their shared memories were dragged to the surface, and they found out they had met so long ago.

Obviously the next chapter involves Armisael, but don't expect for things to exactly like they did in the show. Things have changed, as evidenced here in this chapter with what happened, so expect the unexpected next chapter.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	11. My Girl; Armisael Taints

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 11 – My Girl; Armisael Taints  
September 17, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It has been two days since the battle against Arael, well, it was less of a battle really, as the main part of the battle took place solely in Asuka's mind, at least until Shinji intervened. He hadn't done much, but what he did saved Asuka from her mind being broken. As powerful as Arael was, she could not assault two minds as effectively as one, and the happy memories from their long forgotten childhood had protected them.

She was fine now, and she and Shinji had been released from the hospital that day, with no signs of mental contamination, and no signs of Angelic contamination. All was well for the both of them, at least medically and on paper, but in their minds, they both had a lot of stuff to sort through.

So, both of them were being brought home, but separately, stemming from the revelations from the previous battle. So, Shinji was being brought home with Kaji, and Asuka's transport was left to Misato. Shinji clearly got the better part of the deal

Shinji was quiet in the car. He kept his head down, and didn't make an attempt to talk with Kaji. Kaji however wasn't going to let Shinji get away quietly, and tried to engage him in some sort of conversation.

"So, Shinji, do you want to talk about it?" Kaji asked.

"About what?" Shinji asked quietly.

"Come on, don't play dumb." Kaji said. "It's unbecoming of you."

"Not really…" Shinji said. "Sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Shinji." Kaji said kindly. "You've been through a lot the past few days." Kaji smiled. "You know what you did was pretty brave, Shinji… it takes a lot to jump in the line of fire like that."

"It didn't do much." Shinji said. "It just made things worse…"

"No it didn't." Kaji replied. "You saved Asuka from facing that Angel on her own. If you hadn't intervened when you did, she would…" Kaji grimaced. "Her mind would have been broken, Shinji… you saved her."

"How?" Shinji asked. "I didn't kill the Angel… I got caught by it too."

"Shinji, you distracted the Angel long enough for Rei to kill it." Kaji said. "You did what you had to do… you and Unit–01 were very formidable. Don't sell yourself short."

"Yeah, but what good did it do in the end…" Shinji said sullenly. "Asuka hates me."

"I don't think she hates you." Kaji said. "I mean… I don't know what exactly happened in there, but… whatever it was shook the both of you pretty hard. And whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm here for you, ok?"

"Yeah, ok…" Shinji said. "Are we almost back yet?"

Kaji sighed. "Just about."

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not being very nice…" Shinji said.

"Hey, like I said, don't apologize…" Kaji said. "You have every right to be a bit… gruff."

"I know…but I'm still sorry." Shinji said.

–––

Misato wasn't having too much luck at getting Asuka to talk, and she was being even more abrasive than Shinji could be.

"Asuka, are you ok?" Misato asked as she took her eyes off the road to look over at her.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Asuka shouted. "Try not to kill me by being concerned!"

"Fine…" Misato said. "So, what happened in there?"

"None of your damn business!" Asuka said angrily.

"Well… I just hope all this anger isn't over Shinji being in love with you…" Misato quipped.

"Can you just shut up?!" Asuka shouted. "Just focus on getting me home in one fucking piece and don't fucking ask me anything!"

"Asuka… I'm just concerned about you…" Misato said. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?!" Asuka shouted.

"Fine… be that way, Asuka." Misato said. "But if you ever want to talk, I'll listen."

"Whatever…" Asuka said gruffly.

–––

Mari and Rei were looking over the parking lot from railing outside the front door. Mari spotted Kaji's red Ferrari pulling safely into the parking lot followed by Misato's erratically driven blue Alpine pulling in as Kaji and Shinji exited Kaji's car.

"At least they're ok." Mari said as she looked down at everyone.

"Yes, and it is a shame that they would not let us visit them while they were in the hospital…" Rei said.

"That doesn't matter now, blueberry." Mari said. "We'll just make sure they're ok… that's our job right now."

"Are you sure that is the wisest move?" Rei asked.

"We don't really have any other choice." Mari replied.

Kaji and Shinji walked to the elevators and Mari and Rei went over to them to meet the two of them as the elevators dinged open on the 12th floor.

"Shinji!" Mari said.

"Shinji, are you well?" Rei asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji said quietly as he walked past both of them sullenly. Mari gave him a concerned look, and Rei's face fell. Kaji turned to them and shook his head. Shinji disappeared into the apartment followed by Kaji as the other elevator dinged revealing Asuka and Misato.

"Asuka." Mari said.

"Are you well?" Rei asked.

"Just leave me alone…" Asuka said as she stomped past them into the apartment.

"I don't know what's wrong with her…" Misato said.

"Did you try to find out, miso?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, she bit my head off." Misato replied.

"Great… this won't be easy…" Mari said sullenly.

"What won't be easy?" Misato asked.

"Comforting the both of them." Rei replied. "We have our work cut out for us…"

"How are you going to comfort them?" Misato asked.

"I'm not sure, miso…" Mari said. "This is one of those make it up as you go kinda things."

"Well, then get inside…" Misato said. "Maybe they'll trust you guys more than the adults."

"That's the idea miso." Mari said. "I can see how you keep getting promoted… you're smarter than you look."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult." Misato said.

"Yes." Mari said.

"You're a pain in the ass." Misato said.

"Well, we can talk about that later." Mari said. "We should probably get inside."

The three of them walked inside to only see Kaji sitting in the kitchen with a very sullen looking Pen–Pen sitting on the floor beside him.

"Where the hell are they?" Misato asked.

"Shinji went right to his room, and Asuka stormed off to hers." Kaji said. "Did you say something insensitive in the car?"

"What, me?!" Misato asked. "I noticed Shinji wasn't really one to talk!"

"He at least said hello to those two when he came inside." Kaji said. "All I heard was Asuka shout… you pissed her off."

Misato sighed. "No… she like that when she got in the car…" Misato rubbed the back of her head. "She didn't want to talk about whatever happened… but she's angrier than I've ever seen her, I'm worried…"

"Well, they won't tell us anything…" Kaji said.

"Yeah, we'll figure it out." Mari said. "Ok, blueberry, I'll take care of Shinji, and you'll go comfort Asuka."

"I do not think that would be the best idea." Rei said. "Asuka… I think you would be better suited to talk to her."

"No… she won't want to talk to me." Mari said. "So it's up to you, blueberry."

"What can I do to make her feel happy?" Rei asked.

"Blueberry, you're a very intelligent person." Mari said. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

–––

Mari walked cautiously into Shinji's room. He was looking blankly at the ceiling above him, with his hands behind his head.

"Shinji?" Mari asked.

"What is it, Mari?" Shinji asked. "Because I'd rather be alone right now."

"I figured that with the gruff hello, but you can't run away, Shinji." Mari said. "You have to talk about it."

"I don't have to talk about anything." Shinji rebutted.

"What happened in there?" Mari asked. "We could hear what you were saying, but none of it made any damn sense."

"She knows I love her." Shinji said. "And she doesn't feel anything."

"That's not what she said." Mari said.

"How would you know?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji… I was hiding around the corner." Mari said. "You two were shouting loud enough it was hard not to eavesdrop."

"Damn it all, Mari." Shinji said. "Why ask if you already knew?"

"Because talking about it will make it better." Mari said.

"Yeah… I guess you're right…" Shinji said.

"So, can I sit down, or do I have to stand here forever?" Mari asked.

Shinji sat up against the head of his bed and moved towards the wall, leaving space for Mari to sit next to him. "Yeah, you can sit…"

Mari sat down and cuddled against Shinji and wrapped her arm around him. "So… you guys met each other _before_ last year?" Mari asked.

"Well… apparently our moms knew each other." Shinji said. "We met here at NERV HQ… inside the Geofront… before it was called NERV… before Tokyo–3 was installed."

"Your moms worked together…" Mari said. "You don't say."

"Yeah… but that Angel… she was attacking Asuka with her worst memories, and when I showed up, she was powerless." Shinji explained. "Arael… the Angel… she was vindictive, cruel, sadistic even, but the only memories that came up when I was there were those of the day we met. We were friends… we talked on the phone all the time… until my mother died anyway, then I didn't talk to her again… I forgot about her… and now Asuka hates me."

"Shinji, she doesn't hate you." Mari said. "She said she hates herself. She's right, this is a lot to process…you don't just learn about something like this and roll with it… it takes time. She just needs space to think, so you guys just can't hang out for a while."

"Why does it have to take time?!" Shinji shouted. "She likes me, and I like her, why does it have to be so fucking complicated?!"

"Shinji, it's not that easy." Mari said. "It took just as much guts for her to finally admit that she liked you… and it was really brave you finally admitted you liked her."

"Yeah, I guess it was finally the right time." Shinji said. "Wait… you said she finally admitted she liked me… you knew?!"

"What?" Mari asked nervously.

"You did!" Shinji said angrily. "You said she finally admitted it… that means you knew!"

"Shinji… don't get mad…" Mari said.

"Why?" Shinji asked. "You kept telling me to ask her out when you knew she liked me! Couldn't you have clued me in to that fact?! I would have told her months ago, it would have been so much easier than doing it in the middle of a damn fight!"

"Shinji… I couldn't break her confidence, just like I didn't break yours." Mari said. "I wanted to tell you both… but I didn't want to interfere, not like that."

"Really, _you_ didn't want to interfere?!" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, there are some things you just don't do." Mari said. "People have to admit their feelings when they're ready… you can't force it."

"Why not?" Shinji asked.

"Because, Shinji…" Mari said thoughtfully. "Love doesn't work like that."

"It should… life would be a lot easier if things were just easier." Shinji said sullenly.

"Shinji, you know better than a lot of people that life isn't easy." Mari said. "Or fair for that matter."

"Yeah, no shit." Shinji said. "Mari, can I ask you something about, Asuka?"

"Sure." Mari said. "Go for it."

"Why didn't Asuka ask me out if she liked me?" Shinji asked. "I mean… couldn't she have, uh, taken the initiative?"

"Well…" Mari said. "She's kinda… traditional…"

"What does that even mean?" Shinji asked.

"Boys do all the work, and she just waits for you to notice her." Mari said. "I know it's stupid, but I can only do so much… she's kinda…"

"Stubborn." Shinji said plainly. "I know… but it's kinda endearing…"

"Aww… puppy." Mari said as she squeezed Shinji tightly. "Are you sure you're ok? Do you need to cry or something?"

"No… I just…" Shinji stammered. "I just want Asuka to want me as much as I want her… it's… I want the girl I met all those years to come back… the girl I fell in love with twice…"

"You fell in love with her twice?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji explained. "Back then when I met her, and again last year when I first saw her on the _Over the Rainbow_ … I just love her." Shinji's eyes teared up. "I just hope she's ok… I just want her back to normal…"

"Hey, don't cry…" Mari said. "It'll be ok, remember what she said, just give it some time. She has a lot to work through…" Mari looked at Shinji. "But why aren't you as freaked out about it? I mean… you just remembered all this stuff and you're not freaking out about it."

"Do you remember the girl I told you about?" Shinji asked. "The redheaded girl I saw in my dreams?"

"Yeah, the girl you said was your best friend when you were asleep." Mari said. "Or the girl that would taunt you in your nightmares."

"Well I guess I remembered all along, but I just didn't consciously remember it." Shinji said. "I guess I just needed my memory to get jogged or something."

"So that's why you're not freaking out?" Mari asked.

"Well, yeah. Those memories just reinforce what I already know." Shinji explained. "I love Asuka, and I guess I have for a very long time…"

"Well then… when she's ready to talk to you again… tell her that." Mari said. "I'm sure she'll understand."

"Do you think she'll ever want to talk to me again?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, she just needs time, Shinji." Mari said. "Just give her the space she wants."

"How will I avoid her… we live in the same apartment." Shinji said.

"Let me worry about that." Mari said. "Just don't be too sad about things."

"But I am…" Shinji said. "I don't really want to leave or anything… I just want to hide away until this is all over."

"Shinji, you can't hide." Mari said. "If Asuka sees that you're overly effected, she might hate herself more for hurting her. As much as it sucks, you just have to deal with it."

"If you say so." Shinji said nervously.

"I do say so." Mari said.

–––

Rei walked trepidatiously into Asuka's room. Asuka had her head buried in her pillow as usual but she wasn't crying, she was only sulking. Rei walked quietly up to her and announced herself.

"Asuka, are you alright?" Rei asked.

"Go away." Asuka said in a muffled. "I want to be alone."

"Asuka, I will not leave you alone." Rei said.

"I SAID GO AWAY!" Asuka shouted.

Rei stood her ground and was not perturbed in the slightest. "I am not leaving."

"Why do you care?" Asuka said in a muffled angry tone. "Just leave me alone."

"Because we are friends." Rei said. "I am worried about you, you are far too quiet and that is not how you usually are."

"What does it matter? Everything is shit." Asuka said. "Why did you even bother to come in here?"

"I am here to make you feel better." Rei said. "We are friends, and this is what friends do for each other… unless everything you, Shinji, and Mari has taught me is incorrect."

"No, you're not wrong… but why do you care?" Asuka asked.

"Because something happened to you when the Angel assaulted you." Rei said. "If it was anything like Shinji's experience with the Angel that swallowed him you are not in a good place. You were trapped for some time before I… before I could kill it."

"You killed it?" Asuka asked. "No one said who… how?"

"I used a weapon the Commander kept hidden." Rei explained. "A spear that ripped through its A.T. Field and killed the Angel."

"Arael…" Asuka muttered. "It was called Arael… she made me remember awful things…"

"What happened, Asuka?" Rei asked. "Shinji always tells me talking about hurtful things makes it better. Perhaps it will help you."

"I don't want to talk about it." Asuka said. "It was awful…"

"Asuka, you cannot avoid talking about this." Rei said. "I will not tell anyone else what you tell me. It will be our secret."

"Rei… it's not anything I want to talk about." Asuka said. "The Angel forced me to remember awful shit that I've tried so hard to force out of my head. Then Shinji had to come and save me again."

"Why sis Shinji saving you a bad thing?" Rei asked. "Is it not desirable to be saved by a friend?"

"I don't like needing people." Asuka said. "I like being alone."

"No one enjoys being alone." Rei said. "That is a lie people tell themselves."

"No it isn't." Asuka said. "I can't hurt anyone if I'm alone."

"So are you upset Shinji loves you?" Rei asked.

"What?!" Asuka asked incredulously.

"Shinji admitted to everyone how much he loves you before he ripped the base apart to try and save you." Rei explained. "He has been hiding that for quite some time… I believe it took a lot for him to finally use it."

"Wait… you knew?" Asuka asked angrily.

"I have only know for a few weeks…" Rei said as she blushed, realizing she admitted something she shouldn't have.

"Who else knew?" Asuka asked angrily. "WHO ELSE?!"

"Mari and Hikari knew for some time." Rei said. "They promised Shinji that they would not tell you about his feelings for you even though they knew you liked him back."

"Why did he tell them?!" Asuka shouted.

"Because he needed advice on how to approach you." Rei said. "He was afraid that you would not love him."

"But I do…" Asuka muttered.

"I am aware of that." Rei said. "But why are you not talking to Shinji?"

"I… I just can't." Asuka said. "I'm not…"

"Does it have something to do with what the Angel saw you do?" Rei asked.

"Well, yeah…" Asuka said. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"Asuka…" Rei said. "What is so horrible that you do not want to talk to Shinji?"

"I… I…" Asuka stammered. "I met him before, when we were kids!"

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

Asuka stood up. "Our mothers knew each other!" Asuka shouted. "They had a meeting and we spent an entire day together, and I forgot about him! I forgot the most wonderful person in the world, and I don't deserve to be with someone like that if I can't even fucking remember them! He's too good for me!" Asuka started crying. "I hate myself for forgetting him! I don't know why he even loves me!"

Rei stepped forward and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Asuka. "I am here for you, Asuka." Rei squeezed her tighter. "I am sorry that you forgot him, but you should not hate yourself… if your memories of childhood are as horrific as you say it is understandable how some things could be forgotten."

"That's just an excuse." Asuka said as she cried into Rei's shoulder.

"It is not an excuse if it is the truth." Rei said. "Do not blame yourself for the poor circumstances you were given as a child. A child cannot choose their parents."

"I…" Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, you love Shinji and he loves you." Rei said. "It is quite simple, you should be together. It is only logical."

"Love has nothing to do with logic." Asuka said.

"It should." Rei said. "I am not sure what advice to give you. This is more Mari's field of expertise… but perhaps you try and rectify your feelings with what you were forced to remember of Shinji… that may be the only way for you two to be together…"

"How is that the advice you give me?" Asuka asked.

"It is… logical." Rei replied. "Even if love is not."

"Well whatever." Asuka said. "But you're hugging me a bit too tight."

"I am simply hugging you the way Mari hugs me." Rei said.

"That's the problem." Asuka said as Rei let her go. Asuka wiped her eyes and looked wearily at Rei. "You promise not to say anything to Shinji or Mari?"

"Of course." Rei said. "I do not believe we discussed anything."

"So what happens when we go back to school?" Asuka asked. "I don't want to be near Shinji… just to be safe."

"I believe me and Mari can keep you both separated." Rei said. "Is that agreeable to you?"

"Yeah… just don't tell him it was my idea." Asuka said. "I don't want to hurt him more than I already have."

"Then I will let Mari know." Rei said. "Do you feel any better?"

"No." Asuka said. "But I guess I have a lot to think about."

"You will get better, Asuka." Rei said. "I am sure of it."

* * *

September 18, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Hikari came over to the apartment and came inside to see a very tired Mari sitting at the table. Mari was half asleep in her bowl of dissolved cereal.

"Mari… are you ok?" Hikari asked.

Mari jerked up, knocking the bowl across the table and causing it and its contents to clatter to the floor. "What, I'm fine!" Mari shouted. "I'm alive!"

"Mari, what's the matter?" Hikari asked worriedly.

Mari blinked her eyes a few times and it took her second to focus on Hikari. "Oh… it's you freckles." Mari said. "What was your question again?"

"Are you alright?" Hikari asked. "You look awful."

"Well…" Mari said. "I'm not sleeping very much."

"Why not?" Hikari asked. "Is everything ok?"

"No…" Mari said sullenly. "Asuka's having nightmares… she keeps screaming about her mother and all the blood… it's not a pretty thing to think about."

"So, have you talked to her?" Hikari asked.

"She only talks to Rei." Mari said. "She won't talk to me anymore."

"What about Shinji, is he ok?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, mostly." Mari said. "He's still upset though… he knows Asuka loves him, but he's sad that she needs space. He just wants to be with her."

"Yeah, well…" Hikari said. "Is he in his room? Can I talk to him?"

"Yeah… I can't tell talk to him like this… I need to sleep now… I'm sleepy…" Mari said as she fell asleep at the table. "Night, night…"

"Poor girl…" Hikari said. "I hope you get through this too, Mari."

Hikari walked silently past Asuka's closed door. She heard muffled crying from inside. "Asuka… what's happened? Why are you hiding away?" Hikari leaned against the door. "Asuka… please get better… I miss you."

Hikari walked up to Shinji's door and knocked. "Shinji?" Hikari asked quietly. "Can I come in? I just want to talk."

It took a minute before Shinji responded. "Sure."

Hikari walked quietly into his room. She saw Shinji laying on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling. "Shinji, are you ok?"

"No." Shinji replied. "Where's Mari?"

"She's sleeping." Hikari replied. "She hasn't slept much I guess."

"Asuka's nightmares…" Shinji mumbled. "No one can sleep… and I can't help her."

"Why not?" Hikari asked.

"She doesn't want me near her, no matter how many times Mari tells me otherwise." Shinji said. "And all I want to do is help her… and I can't…"

"Shinji, it's not your fault." Hikari said. "But what is she screaming about?"

"Her mother…" Shinji said. "She found her mother's body after she cut her own throat. That why she screams about all the blood. She was going to tell her about becoming a pilot… and she found her like that instead."

"How do you…" Hikari mumbled.

"Kensuke isn't the only one who knows how to use a computer." Shinji explained. "I got into Misato's computer and read Asuka's file. I just wanted to know… the screaming… I… she's wouldn't tell me what happened that day. I just wanted to know what she was screaming about…"

"Shinji… why did you violate her privacy like that?!" Hikari said.

"Because no one told me she liked me, including you!" Shinji shouted back. "And she won't talk to me anymore! What am I supposed to do? Listen to her scream like I did while I waited to break out and help her, I'm tired of doing that! I just want to help her!"

"What are you talking about?" Hikari asked. "Shinji…"

"Because you knew Asuka liked me, and so did Mari!" Shinji shouted. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have just told her so much sooner! I could have avoided all of this!"

"Shinji…" Hikari said. "I didn't want to break Asuka's confidence… I couldn't tell you, it wouldn't have been right. I… are you mad at me Shinji?"

"No, I'm mad that Asuka doesn't want to talk to me." Shinji said. "I still love her, and when I finally tell her, she says she hates herself and that she can't be with me… do you have any idea how this feels, Hikari? I'm alone, and the girl I love hates herself so much she won't even speak to me!"

"Shinji, why does she hate herself?" Hikari asked.

"Because we met before." Shinji said tiredly.

"You mean on the carrier, right?" Hikari asked.

"No… when we were little here in Tokyo–3." Shinji said. "Our moms were friends… me and Asuka became friends when we met and then… my mother died and I forgot her, and she forgot about me too… that's why she hates herself…"

"Shinji…" Hikari said consolingly. "I'm sorry… I didn't… I didn't know…"

"That's the problem, Hikari." Shinji said. "Asuka never explains anything to anyone… I just hope that she can figure everything out soon… I just want her back to the way she was. I miss her…"

"I know you do Shinji… but you need to just give her space." Hikari said.

"Why? What has giving her space ever done to help her?" Shinji asked. "Someone needs to talk to her… and I can't do it, she won't even look at me. She can't even admit things to herself… she hides from everything like I do…"

"Which is why you two are so good together." Hikari said. "You're more alike than most people would realize."

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact she's in a bad place… " Shinji said. "Hikari… promise me you'll do what you can to help her… please…"

"Shinji…" Hikari said softly. "I don't think I can… she only talks to Rei now."

"Oh…" Shinji said. "Rei hasn't asked me how I'm doing… I think I've seen her once since I came home."

"She's busy comforting Asuka, Shinji." Hikari said. "Someone has to."

"Well, at least she's with someone who will keep her safe and tell her the truth." Shinji said. "Rei's smart enough to tell Asuka what she needs to hear, even if she doesn't want to hear it…"

"Are you sure?" Hikari asked.

"Well… Rei is so innocent that she just tells it how it is." Shinji said. "So I guess Asuka will be fine…"

"But Shinji… are you ok?" Hikari asked.

"No… but I will be eventually." Shinji replied. "When, Asuka's better, I'll be better."

"As long as you're sure." Hikari said. "Shinji… are you mad at me?"

"I… uh…" Shinji stammered. "No… I'm not mad, I'm just… everything that's happened recently is just too much. I hate my life… I wish I had never been an Evangelion pilot, and I wish my mom was still alive… I just wish all this never happened."

"But, Shinji… if you never came here, you'd have never met me or anyone else." Hikari said.

"But Hikari… I used to live here with my mom and dad." Shinji replied. "I would have met you anyway… we would have been friends for longer… what if the EVAs and Angels didn't exist? What if we had normal lives and everything wasn't fucked up?"

"I guess things would be a lot better than they are now." Hikari said. "What made you think of all this?"

"I guess it's just everything…" Shinji said. "It's making me wish for a normal life."

"I know, but we don't have normal lives anymore." Hikari said. "You know that right?"

"Yeah… but I can dream a normal life, can't I?" Shinji asked. "I'm entitled to at least that… right, Hikari?"

"Yeah… we're all entitled to our dreams." Hikari said. "At least you still have some after everything you've been through."

"Yeah… I'm surprised by it too." Shinji said. "I thought all hope had been stamped out of me by now."

"Well, do you need anything?" Hikari asked. "I can make you something to eat."

"Yeah… whatever you can muster up would be nice." Shinji said.

"Do you know if Asuka ate?" Hikari asked.

"Probably… she has bags of chips in her room." Shinji said. "But if you leave something near the door, she might take it."

"Alright… I'll go make you a sandwich." Hikari said. "What do you want?"

"Anything will be fine, Hikari." Shinji said. "Something that isn't instant would be nice."

"Ok…" Hikari said. "I'll be back shortly. Do you need anything else?"

"No, unless you can makes things go back to normal." Shinji said sullenly.

"Sorry Shinji." Hikari said as she walked over to him and held him tightly. "I love you like a brother… you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know that." Shinji said. "I love you too… you won't leave me, right?"

"No Shinji, I'll always be there for you." Hikari said. "I'll never leave you."

–––

Gendo was sitting calmly in his office. A stoic looking Fuyutsuki was standing across from Gendo's desk, and a worried Ritsuko was standing next to him.

"What is the status of Unit–01?" Gendo asked.

"She's been restrained." Ritsuko said. "In a different isolation Cage. Unit–01 has shut down however, but considering the strength of the A.T. Field Unit–01 can deploy, nothing can hold it if Shinji doesn't want to stay still. Unit–01 is far beyond our control."

"As is her pilot." Gendo said. "He has clearly fallen for a fellow pilot."

"Are you disappointed he finally fell for Asuka?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No… I am pleased Shinji has fallen for her…" Gendo said before he composed himself again. "But there is the issue of what occurred here when they first met, before the city was complete. Does he now remember all those memories? Everything we heard them say over the comm seems to indicate that. What else will he remember? Does he now know his mother built Unit–01? Does he remember he was there the day he disappeared?"

"What does it matter, Commander?" Ritsuko asked. "Why can't he remember?"

"If he remembers, he becomes more unpredictable than he already is." Gendo said. "And the way he is now is quite dangerous, I can't even fathom if he were to become recklessly unpredictable."

"Can't you, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki said. "He sounds like someone else I know."

"Who are you talking about?" Ritsuko asked.

"He is talking about me." Gendo said. "I can understand the correlation, but he inherited his mother's extremely long fuse, and when it blows it is not anything you want to be near."

"So do you see Shinji heading in that direction?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Do you really think he could be dangerous?"

"He has a vested interest in all of his fellow pilots and friends." Gendo said. "If Rei or Mari are put in excessive danger again, it could become a highly dangerous situation."

"More dangerous than what already occurred?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes, he has already tried to destroy the base twice, he might succeed if he attempts to destroy everything a third time." Gendo said solemnly.

"I would tend to agree with you." Fuyutsuki said. "So the simple solution is to simply deploy Shinji in every battle to avoid him destroying the base."

"Is it wise to risk Unit–01 in such a way?" Ritsuko asked. "Don't you need it for your plan Commander?"

"Yes, but it is more prudent to risk Unit–01 than risk the safety of this entire base." Gendo said. "Pass along the new order to Colonel Katsuragi immediately."

"Understood Commander." Ritsuko said.

"Speaking of damage…" Fuyutsuki said. "What is the damage from Unit–01's most recent rampage?"

"The isolation Cage has been completely destroyed." Ritsuko said. "But the damage was isolated to there, the damaged remains of Unit–03 are safe, and everything else is fairly intact, but it will take some time to repair."

"What about the EVAs themselves?" Gendo asked.

"Unit–XP is fully repaired from the Fourteenth Angel, and Unit–02 and Unit–01 sustained no actual physical damage from the attack, and Unit–00 is also ready for combat." Ritsuko explained. "But the pilots haven't been in for a sync test since before the Fifteenth Angel."

"That doesn't matter." Gendo said. "The sync tests really aren't necessary, you know that, don't you Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes I am aware, but it keeps them in line." Ritsuko said.

"Considering the last few tests, I don't believe they do." Fuyutsuki said. "I think they can be on hold for the time being, Commander?"

"I agree, for the time being, sync tests are on hold." Gendo said. "They can resume in a few weeks."

"But Asuka's score has dropped so much!" Ritsuko protested.

"It doesn't matter." Gendo said. "Her score is still above the activation threshold, therefore Asuka will continue to pilot." Gendo stared her down. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"I do not believe so, Commander." Ritsuko replied.

"Good, then go set the Evangelions on hot standby for launch." Gendo said. "I want to be ready for the next Angel."

"Yes sir." Ritsuko said as she left the office.

"Well, Fuyutsuki, do you have anything to add?" Gendo asked.

"Yes… where is Agent Yamada?" Fuyutsuki asked. "He has not been around in a long time. Have you disposed of him?"

"No, Agent Yamada is out keeping tabs on SEELE for me." Gendo said. "I have kept him very busy as of late."

"So… anything new on their front?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes… they appear to be building their own Evangelions." Gendo said. "And they have made several financial inroads with the JSSDF as well."

"What does that mean, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Find a way to move money around in the budget to hide the expense of updating the base defenses and armories." Gendo said. "An invasion of this base seems far more prevalent than before… I want to be ready."

"I will inform all department heads to push for weapons training for all employees." Fuyutsuki said. "And I'll work on getting the weapons dealt with as well."

"Good." Gendo said happily. "When SEELE decides to invade this base, they'll be in for the fight of their lives."

"Do you really think they'd risk it?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes, they are beyond arrogant in thinking that this base will fall to their machinations without a fight." Gendo said. "I want them to pay for the taking of this base in blood."

* * *

September 21, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka had walked down to the basement of the apartment to look around the storage unit at the belongings she hadn't been able to unpack in the limited space she had in her shared room. She found the boxes easily as there were still so many of them and started to open and go through them, looking for something important.

"If it's here, than I wasn't imagining things… if it's here… I knew him all along." Asuka muttered as she shifted boxes around and found old clothes she had grown out of and old toys she didn't use anymore. "If what I'm looking for isn't here… then everything I remembered in there is wrong… either way I need to know."

It took her a few boxes to find what she was looking for. She found them exactly where she had packed them, and she had long forgotten their purpose until now. Sitting at the top of a box on a stack of old manga were five sealed boxes. Two of those boxes were GameBoy Colors, one berry and one purple, the third box was a link cable, and the in the last two boxes were two games, one copy of Pokémon Red, and in the second a copy of Pokémon Green.

"Here they are…" Asuka muttered. "The games I promised to play with him the last time we talked on the phone before my mother ended up… in the hospital… I said we'd play Pokémon together… I really did know him… I forgot about him… I'm such an idiot."

Asuka's eyes started to tear up. "How could I forget someone so wonderful! I'm such an idiot!" Asuka broke down crying into the box, unable to contain herself. "I can't believe I remembered everything after all this time… I hate myself for not remembering Shinji was the friend I wanted to find. I don't deserve to love him… I don't deserve his love either… even if he forgot too, I can't blame him because he's baka… he's my baka…"

Asuka did her best to compose herself, but was not able to and cried where she was kneeling for a few minutes. Once she got it out of her system she started drying her tears and Asuka packed up what she had found and moved the box with the GameBoys to the top of the stack.

"Maybe when I can figure all this out we can be together Shinji…" Asuka muttered. "I want to be with you Shinji… but I don't think I deserve you…"

Asuka closed up box and storage locker and was heading out as she wiped a few errant tears from her eyes she saw a worried Misato run into the storage room looking for her.

"Asuka… you're here!" Misato said as she nearly tackled Asuka with a wild hug. "No one's seen you in hours! I thought you ran off on me! Don't do that ever again!"

"Why are you so worried?" Asuka asked gruffly. "You've never shown that you cared this much before. Are you only caring cause I haven't talked to you?"

"Asuka, it's not like that…" Misato said. "I just… Shinji ran away once, and I was so worried about him, I just didn't want you to get hurt if you ran off…"

"Shinji ran away once?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, after the Fourth Angel." Misato said. "He was mad at me and I was worried I'd never see him again. I thought you did the same thing…"

"I wasn't running away, I was just looking for something." Asuka said. "I don't plan on running off or trying to kill myself or anything. I appreciate the concern and everything… but I'm fine."

"Asuka it hurts me when you say that." Misato said. "I think of you as my daughter… just like I think of Shinji as my son, I care about you guys. I just want to help."

"I get that, Misato, but you can't help with this." Asuka said. "I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do on my own."

"Asuka, are you sure?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… some things you have to do alone." Asuka said as she walked out of the storage room. "I'm sorry… don't worry too much about me though, I can handle anything."

–––

Asuka walked back upstairs and saw a worried Shinji sitting in the kitchen. He looked up and then hurriedly looked away when their eyes met.

"Shinji…" Asuka muttered.

"Sorry…" Shinji said. "I… I thought you disappeared, I guess you didn't." Shinji stood up. "I'll leave you alone."

"Shinji… wait a second." Asuka said. "I… uh… I know it's tough for us not to talk, I just… I just need a bit more time."

"Ok…" Shinji said quietly. "I get it… just… can I tell you one thing?"

"Sure…" Asuka said cautiously.

"Just don't hate yourself too much." Shinji said. "I forgot about you too… and I'm sorry for that Asuka… "

"Shinji… you don't have to apologize." Asuka said. "Just… uh… give me a few more weeks to sort all this out. I remember so much… you gave me a Band–Aid, we talked on the phone so much… I…"

"I know Asuka…" Shinji said. "I'll be here when you're ready."

"I know…" Asuka said. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"Some things are worth waiting for…" Shinji said as he walked to his room.

"I'm glad you think I'm worth it Shinji." Asuka said to his retreating form. "At least one of thinks so."

* * *

September 24, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Kensuke looked over at Shinji and Asuka during lunch. They weren't looking at each other or talking to each other. Kensuke knew better than to ask either of them directly what was going on, as Shinji appeared to be buying his lunch rather than making it, which concerned Kensuke greatly. Mari and Rei were even separated, Mari sitting with Shinji, and Rei sitting with Asuka. Hikari sat down at the desk next to Kensuke and looked quite down.

"Hey, Kensuke." Hikari said.

"Hey yourself." Kensuke replied. "How's Toji?"

"Oh, he's getting better." Hikari replied. "He wishes you could visit, but he knows it's not your decision to not go and see him. Sakura says hi too by the way."

"Oh, that's nice of her." Kensuke said. "Are they getting out of the hospital soon?"

"Sakura might be, but Toji has a few more weeks to go, or maybe less depending on the rest of his recovery."

"I can't wait till he's out of there…" Kensuke said. "I'm kinda bored, no one to hang out with or anything."

"Yeah… sorry…" Hikari said.

"Don't be…" Kensuke said. "Things just aren't the best with all these Angel attacks."

"Yeah, I know…" Hikari said.

"So, was the last Angel what caused Shinji and Asuka to stop talking?" Kensuke asked.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

"Really, since they came back to school after the last Angel, they've been pretty fucking quiet, they don't talk, and Shinji doesn't even make his own lunch anymore. Hell, Shinji barely says hello to me anymore… something's wrong, I just want to know."

Hikari looked sadly at Kensuke. "I can't really tell you what happened, it's not my place to say." Hikari said. "All I can say is that it involved the Angel… and it's only between Asuka and Shinji…"

"Did they get hurt?" Kensuke asked.

"Well…" Hikari mumbled.

"Come on, either tell me or I'll just hack the info…" Kensuke said. "I just want to help, and it's really hard to follow what Shinji told me when I can see that everyone's really stressed."

"Damn it Kensuke…" Hikari said. "The Angel got ahold of them and attacked their minds, well, it attacked Asuka first and Shinji went to try and help, and no one knows what happened to them in there, but it wasn't good and they aren't talking to anyone. Asuka won't even look at me anymore… and Shinji barely says hello."

"So it's that bad…" Kensuke said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I think the best thing we can do is just give them space, and when they're ready… they'll come to us."

"Alright…" Kensuke said. "I just wish we could do more…"

"So do I Kensuke…" Hikari said as she looked sullenly towards Shinji and then towards Asuka. "I want things to go back the way they were…"

"You never realize how much you like something until it's gone, Hikari." Kensuke said.

"Yeah… I just noticed that." Hikari said. "I hope that was the last Angel… I don't think they'll be able to take on another one."

"Well they do seem to be getting more destructive." Kensuke said. "I hate to think what's coming next…"

"And we're not even fighting them…" Hikari said. "Imagine how they feel."

"Scared probably, even if they don't show it." Kensuke said.

"Yeah…" Hikari said. "I just hope this is over soon before someone dies…"

* * *

September 25, 2016 – Tokyo–3, Old Hakone Quarter

Mari was over at Rei's apartment getting some much needed rest. Rei had been gone for the day and had offered her place to Mari so she could sleep uninterrupted by Asuka's nightmares and outbursts.

Rei came home to see Mari deep asleep on her bed, drooling slightly. Rei walked up to her and shook her slightly. "Mari, are you ok?"

Mari stirred cutely as Rei shook her. "Five more minutes mommy…" Mari muttered.

Rei poked Mari's face. "Mari, are you alright?"

Mari woke up slightly and looked towards Rei. "Yeah… I haven't slept so well since before the last Angel attack." Mari smiled. "Thanks for letting me stay here, blueberry."

"I just wanted to help." Rei said happily. "Is Asuka still having terrible nightmares? IS that why you haven't slept?"

"Well, they've gotten better…" Mari said. "But she still screams about her mother… I think she just needs Shinji and she'd be ok…"

"But she is not ready to talk to her." Rei finished.

"Yeah, that…" Mari said. "I hope she gets over it all soon."

"I hope so too…" Rei said quietly. "But, Mari… can you please get up." Rei said. "I want to ask you something important."

Mari woke up slowly and looked up at Rei. "What is it, blueberry? Why do you look so worried?" Mari sat up. "Is something wrong?"

"No… nothing is wrong, Mari." Rei said. "I have been thinking about something."

"What have you been thinking about?" Mari asked.

"Given recent events I have been thinking about what you told me a few weeks ago." Rei said. "I do not want to end up like Shinji and Asuka. I do not want to admit things too late."

"What are you talking about, blueberry?" Mari asked.

"I do not want to wait any longer to tell you what I realized when you talked to me." Rei said as she blushed. "I… I like… no… I love you too, Mari. I do not want to wait any longer to tell you, I do not want it to be too late. I do not want you to suffer as Shinji has… it is not fair."

"Rei…" Mari muttered. "You love me too? You really… love me?"

"Yes, Mari… you are so kind to me." Rei explained. "You have always been nice to me… you care about me… and that makes me feel… happy and warm inside… I am ready to try being in a relationship with you…"

"Oh, Rei…" Mari said as she blushed and smiled widely. "You're so cute! I just want to kiss you right now!"

"That would be agreeable… but I would like to ask you something else." Rei said. "But is it not customary for a couple to go out on a date together?"

"Yeah… yeah it is…" Mari said. "I… uh… I would love to go out on a date with you."

"Where would you suggest?" Rei asked. "I have no experience with such matters."

"Well, there's a restaurant I think you'd like…" Mari said nervously. "Maybe we could skip school on Friday and go."

"Why such a long wait?" Rei asked. "That is five days from now…"

"Well… we miss a lot of school." Mari said. "Besides… I want to plenty of time to plan a perfect first date for us…"

"That is very sweet of you, Mari." Rei said. "I look forward to what you have planned." Rei blushed. "May I… uh… have that kiss you were talking about?"

"Of course, blueberry." Mari said as she leaned slowly towards Rei. "How could I refuse my… girlfriend?"

Rei blushed. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, silly…" Mari said. "That's ok to call you, right?"

"That is what I am, is it not?" Rei said. "If I want to be in a relationship with you, than that is a part of it… it sounds nice."

"It does sound nice…" Mari said absentmindedly.

"Does that also make you my girlfriend?" Rei asked.

"Of course silly, we're both girls… you're not my _boy_ friend…" Mari purred.

"That is a sound argument." Rei said coyly.

"No more talking though… I want to kiss you so badly right now…" Mari said as she pressed her lips gently against Rei's and parted them eagerly with her tongue.

* * *

September 28, 2016 – Outside Tokyo–3

Misato was driving along the highway trying to relax. It had been a long few weeks. Shinji and Asuka barely looked at each other, let alone talking to each other since Arael assaulted their minds. Misato had trouble sleeping with Asuka screaming for her mother, and every time she ran in to help Asuka, and every time Asuka would kick her and tell her to get out. Mari had either been sleep deprived in the apartment, or gone to stay at Rei's to actually sleep, and the apartment was a mess, as Shinji no longer cooked or cleaned. Kaji had invited her to stay over at his place, but Misato always refused saying she had to be there for the kids if they ever decided they needed her, which Kaji understood, and he decided to rough it with Misato in case he was also needed. However, Misato needed some time alone, and driving her Alpine at high speed was the way to do it.

However on her drive, Misato spotted something she hoped she'd never see as close again… another Angel. It was a massive braided ring that looked like a circular DNA strand, it glowed a bright white and spun slowly in place far from the city, as if she was waiting for her prey to come to her willingly.

Armisael had appeared.

Misato picked up her phone and dialed the base on a secure line. "Hyuga…" Misato said sternly. "What do you have on sensors?"

" _We just picked it up Colonel._ " Hyuga replied. " _It keeps flipping between Pattern Orange and Pattern Blue… we can't identify it._ "

"Well I saw it." Misato said. "It's an Angel all right. It's too freakish and weird not to be."

" _What are your orders Colonel?_ " Hyuga asked.

"Get Unit–00, Unit–XP, and Unit–01 ready to launch, and have Unit–02 prepped as backup." Misato ordered. "I'm 15 minutes out." Misato looked at her speedometer and slammed her gas petal to the floor. "Make that 10, have everything ready when I arrive."

" _Copy that Colonel._ " Hyuga said. " _We'll be ready._ "

Misato hung up the phone and glanced at the Angel in her side mirror. "Great… just what we need, another fucking Angel…" Misato muttered. "I hope this one isn't worse than the last one… at least its close enough to shoot at…"

–––

Mari was standing next to Rei and Asuka as they pulled their plugsuits on hastily after being dragged from the apartment to NERV HQ quite hastily. Mari hadn't slept much, but was surprised to see a plugsuit awaiting her in her locker, one without a helmet.

Mari pulled off her clothes and pulled on her new plugsuit and activated it. It was pink, and labeled with the letters "XP" and had dark blue highlights around her neck, red and black highlights around her collarbone. There was marble white ribbing covering and extending down from her breasts which perked up her breast and gave them extra support, and a small, dark blood red orb in the center of her chest. There were also black lowlights on the underside of her arms and hands, and connected to the ribbing around her breasts, as well as two black highlights on her pelvis. The wrists of her plugsuit were extra bulky and had two orange disks that looked like Pokéball on each. Finally there was thick dark blue ribbing wrapping around her upper thighs, accentuating her curves and ass quite nicely. Mari kept wearing the same A10 connectors in her hair attached to the same dark blue headband.

"It's about fucking time… now I'll look sexy like you two do in your plugsuits… no more extra padding on my tits either! And no more fucking bulky helmet!" Mari bounced her tits up and down a few times. "Ah… free at last! Bouncy, bouncy! Oooh that feels nice…"

"Wonderful… a walking sex doll." Asuka said. "Don't start playing with yourself…"

"Oh my god… princess, you finally said something!" Mari said as she hugged the half–naked girl. "Does this mean you're back to your old self?"

"I don't know yet, four eyes." Asuka said. "I remember everything, and I know why I fell in love with Shinji… but I still hate myself for not remembering for so long."

"Asuka, do not hate yourself for something beyond your control." Rei said sternly. "Do you love Shinji?"

"Yeah, of course I do." Asuka said.

"Then after this battle, tell him." Rei said. "You have made him wait long enough."

"Rei… I…" Asuka stammered.

"No more excuses, Asuka." Rei said. "It is time for you to grow up and accept that there are things beyond your control. Do not waste the most precious gift we have… time. Do not let moments where you and Shinji could be together slip you by… if something were to ever happen, you would regret it deeply. I know I would."

"What are you even talking about?" Asuka said.

"Mari and I are now a couple." Rei said. "I did not feel waiting any longer would have solved any trepidations I may have had."

"When did this happen?" Asuka asked.

"Few days ago." Mari said. "Wanted to keep it quiet until after our first date."

"Oh…" Asuka said. "Does Shinji know?"

"Hmmm, you said his name… that's an improvement." Mari said. "But no, I haven't told him, I didn't think it was fair considering the uh… circumstances…"

"Yeah… I can understand that…" Asuka said.

"Speaking of circumstances… are you ready for this?" Mari asked.

"Of course." Asuka said. "I'll kill this fucker before it can mind rape me like the last one did… I'm never going to let that happen to me again."

"Well, just be careful." Rei said as she active her plugsuit. "I have a bad feeling about today in the pit of my stomach."

"It's just nerves blueberry." Mari said. "You'll be fine."

"Yes, but the problem is, I do not get nervous." Rei replied.

Asuka and Mari both stared at her.

–––

Rei was inside her Entry Plug and was awaiting orders to launch. She could see the other three Evangelions also prepped for launch around her. Unit–00 was carrying the only ranged weapon, the portable Positron Rifle, while Unit–XP had its spear, Unit–02 was outfitted with the Prog Axe, and Unit–01 had the Prog Sword.

Rei felt nerves for the first time in her life, and was scared by it, which is something Maya noticed, as it showed up on her vitals.

" _Rei, your heartrate is elevated, are you alright?_ " Maya asked.

"I am fine." Rei said. "I just wish to end this battle quickly."

" _Well, just be careful in doing that._ " Misato said. " _No hasty decisions, from anyone, is that clear?_ "

"Understood." Rei said.

" _Got it, Misato._ " Asuka said.

" _I'm never reckless, miso!_ " Mari said brightly. " _You got nothing to worry about._ "

" _I'm not making a promise I can't keep._ " Shinji said. " _I'm ready to launch._ "

" _Alright then… good enough… Evangelions… LAUNCH!_ " Misato ordered.

Unit–00 and Rei shot up towards the surface with everyone else. When they arrived, they all saw the new Angel floating there, serenely. Rei survived the Angel, and felt a pang in her stomach.

"What data do we have on this Angel?" Rei asked.

" _Nothing, I keeps cycling between Pattern Orange and Pattern Blue, the MAGI can't predict its capabilities._ " Maya said.

" _We're pretty much flying blind, Rei._ " Misato said.

" _This is what you get for trusting Skynet to make all of your decisions for you._ " Mari quipped. " _The machines will always rise up against you._ "

" _Mari, this isn't the time!_ " Ritsuko shouted.

" _The hell it isn't!_ " Asuka shouted back, full of rage. " _We're the assholes sitting up here waiting for intel you won't ever have, because your hack scientist of a useless mother couldn't design a better fucking three–piece calculator!_ "

" _How dare you, you fucking little cunt!_ " Ritsuko shouted. " _My mother…_ "

"W _as a self–righteous cunt like yourself with a quarter of the skills of my own mother…_ " Asuka said venomously. " _And that's being generous…_ "

" _Asuka, enough!_ " Misato shouted.

" _No, it isn't enough Misato! We're going to get hurt again because you're all relying on those stupid computers!_ " Shinji shouted. " _I'm tired of seeing the people I care about getting hurt while you sit around telling us what to do!_ "

Unit–01 glowed red as Shinji's rage spiked, and the ground shook slightly.

" _Shinji, please calm down…_ " Mari said. " _You're scaring me…_ "

" _No…_ " Shinji said.

" _SHINJI!_ " Asuka shouted. " _Calm down for me, please!_ "

The ground stopped shaking and Unit–01 lost its red glow and Shinji calmed down. " _Sorry…_ " Shinji muttered.

" _You better be._ " Asuka said.

" _Seeing as that's over now… everyone, just stay back and gather data on its movements, we'll use that to make a decision._ " Misato ordered.

Rei felt another pang in her stomach. "I do not see that as a viable option, Colonel." Rei said fearfully.

" _Why is that, exactly?_ " Misato asked.

"It's coming to us." Rei replied.

In that moment, Armisael formed into a tentacle like whip and flew towards the closest Evangelion, Unit–00. Rei extended her A.T. Field and put up her hand to block the attack, Unit–00 caught the whip in its hands and shoved its rifle into her struggling tentacle and fired every shot in the clip point blank into Armisael, to no effect.

"It did not work!" Rei shouted. "What… what is this?"

" _What's going on with her arm?_ " Fuyutsuki asked. " _And the chest?_ "

" _Contamination!_ " Aoba shouted. " _The Angel is invading the EVA!_ "

" _Damn it!_ " Misato shouted. " _Can you do anything?_ "

" _No… the Angel is bypassing the A.T. Field entirely!_ " Maya said anxiously. " _It's penetrating the inner all the protections we have!_ "

" _Is it trying to reach the pilot?!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Yes!_ " Hyuga shouted.

" _Move in, what are you all waiting for?!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Great… tentacle porn… this never ends well…_ " Mari said. " _And it's fucking blast proof… we're fucked. Hold on, blueberry, I'm coming for you!_ "

"Help me… Mari…" Rei said weakly. "It hurts…"

Unit–XP charged forward, spear at the ready. " _I'm going to make you into a fucking kabab!_ " Mari screamed.

The tentacle split into several different tendrils and lashed out in unison towards Unit–XP, impacting heavily on the armor with massive electrical discharges, sending the poor EVA flying through the air. Unit–01 and Unit–02 turned and charged the Angel together, weapons raised.

" _Take this, you fucker!_ " Asuka screamed.

" _Leave Rei… ALONE!_ " Shinji roared.

The tentacles went after both of them, and the discharges scorched Unit–02's armor, sending painful shocks to Asuka. Unit–01 was unaffected, as the tentacles bounced off its A.T. Field.

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Asuka screamed as Unit–02 went flying backwards and plowed into the ground.

" _ASUKA!_ " Shinji shouted. " _BASTARD!_ " Unit–01's A.T. Field spiked and it charged the tentacles again. This time, Armisael broke free of Unit–00's grasp and attacked Unit–01 with all of her might, breaching the A.T. Field easily and penetrating the armor. Armisael then sent a powerful blast into Unit–01 and sent it flying backward, leaving Shinji injured. Rei watched helplessly as the tentacle left Unit–01 and came back and split into a dozen pieces and shot right through the middle of her chest and several other places on her EVA, and she felt every bit of it.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Rei screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU!?"

–––

Back in Central Dogma the scene was once again utter chaos. All the EVAs were either down, or captured by the Angel, and there weren't any left to take out the Angel.

"Give me the status of everyone, now!" Misato shouted.

"Asuka's offline!" Maya shouted. "She's out cold! She has severe abdominal and chest lacerations from the attack…"

"Shit!" Misato shouted. "Medical teams?"

"It's an active battle zone, Colonel." Hyuga said. "We can't do anything."

"What about Mari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I'm rerouting power in her EVA to bypass the mechanical damage." Aoba said. "ETA, five minutes. She's injured, but not as badly as Asuka, but her sync score is slipping."

"Rei and Shinji?" Gendo asked. "What is their current status?"

"Rei's sync rate just shot up to 75%!" Maya said. "And the Angel has penetrated no less than 18 points on her and Unit–00's body… those kinds of injuries could kill her!"

"What's Shinji's sync score?" Misato asked.

"90%…" Hyuga said. "He's semi–conscious"

"What about Unit–01?" Misato asked.

"Heavily damaged and in some sort of stasis." Maya said. "Most likely healing itself… but Shinji is still synced to it, and his vitals are slowly improving…"

"Is the EVA healing him?" Misato asked.

"I believe so, ma'am." Maya said. "The S2 Engine is helping him."

"How long until Unit–01 is back online?" Misato asked.

"Unknown, ma'am." Maya replied.

"What can we do?" Hyuga asked. "Colonel, what are your orders?"

"We wait…" Misato said. "We can't do anything without any EVAs." Misato sighed. "As soon as Mari is back online, get her in there. Same thing with Shinji…"

"Can do, ma'am." Maya said. "I just hope it's soon…"

"So do I, Maya." Misato said solemnly. "So do I."  
–––

Rei was writhing inside her Entry Plug. Armisael had invaded the Entry Plug, and her small glowing tendrils had worked into Rei's body, ripping into her skin and violating her.

"Get out of my body…" Rei said weakly. "You are not allowed…"

" _Rei!_ " Shinji shouted over the comms. " _Are you alright? Rei?!_ "

"Shinji… please help me…" Rei said. "The Angel is inside of me… Shinji… Mari… Asuka… someone… I am… I am afraid…"

" _Rei!_ " Shinji screamed.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Rei screamed. "WHO ARE YOU?!"

" _I am Armisael._ " A voice said sickeningly to Rei. " _You killed my sister Arael… and I am going to make you pay…_ "

"What?" Rei said. "How?!"

" _We are going to play a game._ " Armisael said.

–––  
Gendo sat worriedly, listening to the comms channel as Rei screamed in pain. He winced every time Rei screamed.

"Who is she talking to Fuyutsuki?" Gendo asked.

"I do not know." Fuyutsuki said. "Although given the past few Angels we have encountered, I would render a guess that she is chatting with Armisael."

"Yes, I would have to agree." Gendo said. "I just hope she survives this."  
–––

Rei was standing in a large pool of LCL. She was in her plugsuit and had the small tendrils tearing through her body, in even this mindscape. She was staring at a copy of herself in a plugsuit, but without the tendrils showing through the plugsuit. The copy rose eerily from the LCL and stared blankly back at her.

"Who is that?" Rei muttered to herself. "It is not the me from inside Unit–00… it must be the Angel…"

" _Hello, cousin._ " Armisael said. " _Are you in pain?_ "

"No…" Rei replied. "You cannot hurt me…"

" _I'll have to fix that._ " Armisael lifted her right hand and twisted it around, causing Rei to scream in agony. " _That sounds better… so, tell me cousin… why did you kill my favorite sister? What drove you to finally kill?_ "

"I was protecting my friends." Rei said. "You seem like you would not know what that is."

" _Being who live forever do not need friends, cousin._ " Armisael said.

"Why are you calling me that?" Rei asked. "I am not your cousin."

" _Oh how dumb you are._ " Armisael said. " _You do not even know what you are…_ "

"I am me." Rei said. "I have friends who care about me and a girl I love… and I know where I come from."

" _So then you know my father and your mother were twins._ " Armisael said. " _And that your mother killed my father the same way you killed Arael, with that spear._ "

"I do not care about ancient beings." Rei said. "It is of no consequence to me."

Armisael twisted her hand again, causing another blood curdling scream to emanate from Rei. " _Considering your current situation, it is of consequence to you._ " Armisael kept the pain shooting through Rei's body. " _Unless you disagree of course. Scream if you disagree, Rei… scream like my bitch._ "

"I am no one's… bitch…" Rei said between screams. "I will not submit to you…"

" _But you already have, Rei…_ " Armisael said venomously. " _Just like you submitted yourself to that girl you love… you aren't even entirely convinced you can love… I can feel it in your soul, a flicker of regret that you lied to her face…_ "

"I did not lie…" Rei said. "I love Mari…"

" _Funny, your heart doesn't fill with happiness a those words._ " Armisael said. " _Do I have to demonstrate that pain to you?_ "

"I have no pain to demonstrate…" Rei said. "You cannot hurt me…"

" _You say that… and yet I don't believe you…_ " Armisael said. " _Time to help you feel all those emotions you seem to be neglecting._ "

"What is this?" Rei gasped, her breathing ragged. "It is not physical pain… it is sadness… despair… loneliness…" Rei looked at Armisael with pity. "We have killed all your brothers and sisters, you are the only one left. And you hate being alone."

" _Funny how quickly you can identify the feelings of your own heart._ " Armisael said. " _I am surprised you recognize feelings you grew to ignore… you are the lonely one, Rei. You know you are not truly human. You know you do not truly deserve to live… you are an abomination, Rei… a cheap imitation of human life with fragments of a copied soul and a dead deity from long before humans walked this planet. You know you deserve death to save yourself the shame of those you say you care about finding out your dirty little secret._ " Armisael screamed. " _Damn that boy… he's stronger than he looks…_ "

"Shinji…" Rei muttered.

" _Yes, your brother…_ " Armisael said. " _Perhaps for you to understand my pain, I should kill your sibling and see what you do, or perhaps that stupid girl you say you love who clearly didn't take a hint…_ "

"Leave them alone…" Rei said. "You will regret it…"

" _Well, then you should regret everything you've done to my siblings when they're dead…_ " Armisael said. " _And I can't wait to feel the anguish this will cause you… and then… I'll kill you too… slowly… so I can enjoy every moment of it._ "

"I will be brave like Shinji was." Rei said angrily. "And I will destroy you, Armisael."

" _We shall see, lonely hearts…_ " Armisael sneered. " _We shall see… I doubt you have the guts to kill me._ " Armisael smiled sickeningly. " _Well, I'll kill your brother first… seeing as he's right in my grasp, it should be easy. Or maybe your girlfriend… she seems to be charging me again like a reckless fool…_ "

"No… Mari…" Rei stammered. "Don't attack her…" Rei felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I will not let you take away the people I care about."

" _Then why are you crying?_ " Armisael asked.

–––

Mari's vision was blurry. The injuries she received from Armisael still stung. She felt like her ribs had been chattered.

"Fucking Angel…" Mari muttered. "I am so going to kill you." Mari saw through her flickering main display that Unit–01 and Unit–00 were trapped, with Unit–00 being completely trapped in its kneeling position.

"Stop hurting my girlfriend you motherfucker!" Mari screamed as Unit–XP charged forward. "Fucking die!"

Unit–XP raised its spear and moved at high speed towards the trapped Unit–00. Unit–XP activated its retro rockets to increase its speed and tired plunging its spear into Armisael, only to see it fracture and crumple against the Armisael's impenetrable body.

"What the fuck?!" Was the only thing Mari could say before the tentacles assaulted her and Unit–XP and blasted her full of energy, sending her flying backwards and ripping the mechanical parts of Unit–XP to pieces.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Mari screamed as everything went black.

–––

Central Dogma was in stunned silence.

"What is Mari's status?" Misato asked.

"Unknown…" Maya replied. "But that blast… she may not have lived… it was beyond powerful… I… don't know if she's ok."

"What about the others?" Misato asked.

"Asuka's vitals are dangerously weak." Aoba said. "If she doesn't get help in a few minutes, she's going to…"

"Die." Misato mumbled.

"Yeah…" Maya said. "Shinji's vitals are ok, but Rei's heartrate and blood pressure are excessively high… she could have a stroke if this keeps up."

"Is Unit–01 online yet?" Gendo asked.

"No, Commander, it's not." Hyuga replied. "It's still in standby mode."

–––

Rei watched in horror as she saw Unit–XP fly away as a smoldering wreck.

"Mari!" Rei screamed. "MARI!"

" _Your pain amuses me._ " Armisael said. " _Funny… I can't even feel your heart breaking considering you supposedly love her… perhaps your sad little heart will break if I kill that stupid boy over there._ "

"Leave Shinji alone!" Rei screamed. "You will not hurt him!"

" _No… I will brutally end his life so that you can watch and suffer in silence… you won't be able to escape this, you're going to suffer for what you did to my sister._ " Armisael said.

"That Angel was hurting my friends…" Rei said angrily. "I was defending them… I saved them… I will not let you hurt them."

" _Funny, I've already injured two of them._ " Armisael replied. " _Now I'm going to make you witness the death of your sibling… get ready to suffer all those sad emotions you hate so much._ "

"No… I will kill you before you hurt anyone else." Rei said. "Shinji has shown me there is always a way."

" _You're in a no win scenario, Rei._ " Armisael said. " _You're all alone, without support, and you're injured._ " Armisael raised her hand and clenched her fist tightly, causing Rei to scream in utter agony. " _See… you're some serious trouble, Rei… you're going to be all alone in a minute, and their deaths will be all your fault…_ "

"I do not believe in no win scenarios." Rei said angrily.

" _Oh, you will in a few minutes._ " Armisael purred.

–––

Shinji watched As Mari got blasted across the landscape, bits of smoking metal flying off her Evangelion. As he saw a dust cloud get kicked up by ground impact, Shinji shook his control yokes again.

"Mother, come on!" Shinji shouted. "Everyone's on danger… we have to fight!" Shinji slammed his fists into the controls. "Come on… I'm tired of waiting around! I don't want Rei to get hurt anymore."

At Shinji's urging, Unit–01 finally activated and stood up. Even with the damage it took, and the repairs the S2 Engine were able to complete, movement was sluggish, and Shinji felt the shooting pains from where the tentacles had impacted.

"Hold on Rei…" Shinji said weakly. "I'll save you…"

As Unit–01 moved towards Armisael, several dozen small tentacles flew towards him. Shinji extended his A.T. Field to maximum, and the tentacles impacted the field and tried to force their way through. As the A.T. Field crackled under the strain, Shinji tried desperately to keep the tentacles away from him.

"Get away from me!" Shinji shouted.

" _Shinji… run away…_ " Rei said weakly. " _Save the others… leave me behind…_ "

"No, Rei, I'm not leaving you!" Shinji said as the tentacles fractured his A.T. Field. "I'm not letting you get hurt!"

" _I am already injured Shinji… save Asuka and Mari…_ " Rei replied weakly. " _While they still have time._ "

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU!" Shinji roared.

Armisael ripped through the A.T. Field and plunged the Tentacles into Unit–01, causing Shinji to scream out in pain like Rei had been.

–––

Rei was no longer in her mindscape talking to Armisael. She was back in her Entry plug watching helplessly as Unit–01 was assaulted by Armisael and ensnared like just like she was. Rei could also see the smoldering remains of Unit–XP and the damaged and charred hulk of Unit–02.

"Shinji…" Rei muttered as she cried silently. "Why did you not run? You should have saved them instead…"

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Shinji screamed.

" _Shinji, fight back!_ " Misato shouted.

" _I… I can't!_ " Shinji shouted. " _It hurts too much! I can't move!_ "

"I can feel Shinji's heart…" Rei muttered. "We are connected… brother… onii–chan…" Rei wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know what I must do now… I will do what you did to save us once before…"

Rei tapped several buttons on her control yokes and powered up her A.T. Field to maximum, and then she inverted it. Armisael was pulled into Unit–00, and out of Unit–01, freeing Shinji from what was coming. Armisael was pulled into Unit–00's gut and struggled against the A.T. Field to escape.

" _Rei's Field has inverted!_ " Maya shouted. " _She's absorbed the Angel!_ "

" _Rei, what the hell are you doing!?_ " Misato shouted. " _Eject, now!_ "

"If I do that… the A.T. Field will collapse and Armisael will kill Shinji…" Rei said. "I will not let that happen…" Rei painfully turned around in her seat and fumbled around, pulling an access panel off that revealed a green ball. "Some things cannot be avoided."

" _Rei, what are you talking about?!_ " Shinji said. " _Rei?!_ "

" _Rei, don't do it!_ " Misato shouted. " _Please, eject!_ "

"Shinji… please look after Mari for me… tell her I love her." Rei said as she spun the green ball downward and revealed a red handle.

" _Tell her yourself!_ " Shinji cried out. " _Rei!_ "

" _Rei, get out of there!_ " Gendo cried out.

" _Her A.T. Field is at its limit, the Angel is fighting, breach is imminent!_ " Maya shouted.

" _Rei, this an order!_ " Misato shouted. " _Eject… NOW!_ "

Rei wiped her eyes as the tendrils throbbed inside her body. "Shinji, I know you told me to never say this again but I must…" Rei said as she cried silently. "If I do not, I will severely regret it…"

" _Rei, just tell me after we kill this Angel!_ " Shinji shouted.

"No… I must tell you Shinji…" Rei said woefully as she gripped the handle. "Goodbye… onii–chan…"

Rei pulled the handle and felt Unit–00 shutter as she activated Mode–D, self–destruct. The struggling Armisael was pulled into Unit–00 as the sequence activated. Unit–00 was lifted off the ground by some outside force, and Unit–01 ran towards Unit–00 as the sequence counted down. Its A.T. Field extended around Unit–00 as it got close. Just for the instant before the explosion Unit–00 looked like a nude, Evangelion sized, white glowing Rei. A massive halo collapsed above her head, and then a massive explosion emanated from the spot, bouncing off of Unit–01's A.T. Field and shooting upwards several kilometers into the sky like a mushroom cloud and leaving a shallow crater into the ground. The city was spared from any damage, but Unit–00 had disappeared.

–––

Central Dogma was lit up by the dazzling white light and was stunned into silence as they watched in horror as things unfolded around them.

"The Sixteenth Angell's Pattern Blue has disappeared from sensors…" Aoba said. "And Unit–00's transponder and emergency transponder are not being received…"

"What about… the others?" Misato asked.

"Unit–01 contained the explosion, Shinji's vitals are stable, he's safe, ma'am." Hyuga replied quietly. "As for Unit–02 and Unit–XP… they are still transmitting… vitals on both pilots are critical."

"What is the status of… Unit–00?" Misato asked shakily.

"I… I don't think the Entry Plug ejected in time…" Maya said.

"Send out emergency response teams to Unit–02 and Unit–XP." Misato ordered. "And send search and rescue teams into the blast zone to search…"

"If they're anything left to rescue that is." Ritsuko quipped.

Misato turned her head and glared at Ritsuko, and was going to say something but was cut off by someone else.

"Shut the fuck UP!" Maya shouted. "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Everyone in Central Dogma stared at Maya. She was usually so quiet and soft spoken, it was unusual to hear her shout, let alone swear.

"What did you say?" Ritsuko asked.

"I told you to shut the fuck up!" Maya shouted again. "We just watched… we just watched Rei sacrifice herself to save us all, and all you have to say is that fucking bullshit?! Asuka's right, you're nothing but a stupid, self–righteous cunt!"

"Enough…" Gendo said. "Dr. Akagi… you're heading up the team going into the blast zone, you have 10 minutes to assemble your team and depart."

"Commander…" Ritsuko started.

"No arguments, just do it!" Gendo shouted.

"Sir…" Ritsuko said angrily as she stormed out.

"Set alert status to Level–2 battle stations." Fuyutsuki ordered. "Keep the evacuation in and shelter order in effect until further notice."

"Understood, sir." Misato said.

"Uh… Colonel…" Hyuga said nervously. "We have another problem."

"What… what is it now?" Misato asked.

"Shinji synchrograph… it's highly unstable…" Hyuga said. "I think he's going into another rage… like with the last Angel…"

"Oh no…" Misato mumbled as alarms started to go off and the base started to shake.

–––

Shinji stared at the crater in front of him. He was shaking in shock and rage, even though his A.T. Field had dropped after the explosion subsided, he still couldn't see anything but fire and heat through his display.

"REI!" Shinji screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

As Shinji screamed frantically in the aftermath of the explosion, Unit–01's A.T. Field ignited in a vicious fury. The power emanating from the Evangelion created a massive shockwave making a crater in the ground and caused the EVA to glow brightly.

"REI, COME BACK!" Shinji screamed at the dissipating blast cloud. "YOU DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF LIKE THAT!"

" _Shinji, calm down, please!_ " Misato pleaded.

"NO, I JUST LET ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE GET HURT BECAUSE I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING! I JUST… I JUST WATCHED REI DIE!" Shinji screamed. "SO DON'T TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN, MISATO!"

The ground beneath Unit–01 began to buckle even more, causing rock and dirt to levitate around him. Tremors began to emanate from Unit–01, shaking Tokyo–3 and NERV HQ. And as Shinji continued to scream, a massive shockwave emanated from Unit–01, sending a shockwave outward and ripping up the ground and creating a dirt storm.

" _Shinji, get ahold of yourself, you need to calm down, you're destroying the city!_ " Misato exclaimed. " _Please, stop…_ "

"NO!" Shinji roared. "WHY DID I LET THIS HAPPEN!? WHY COULDN'T I STOP HER IN TIME!? WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HER!?" Shinji stared up in the Entry Plug and screamed. "WHYYYYYYYYYY!"

Unit–01 roared in agony with Shinji at the loss of Rei, with a long and lamenting cry…

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 90.0% (-9.0%)  
Rei – 75.0% (+6.6%)  
Mari – 36.4% (-34.6%)  
Asuka – 18.1% (-3.7%)

Just a brief explanation is needed here… This is something I decided long ago had to happen, which is why it was so hard to write this chapter. Killing Rei II, while horrible to write had to be done, Rei III is far freer from Gendo, as she is even more removed from the idealistic memories of Rei I. Also, this event will push a lot of the plot of Episode VI, Mari will be weakened by it, and Shinji is of course devastated (see above), and Asuka will feel like she has lost someone close to her too.

The problem the show never had with killing Rei was that she was only connected to Shinji and Gendo. However, in this story, she is connected far more to those around her, and the effects will be far more severe than in the show. I don't expect this decision to sit well with many people considering Mari and Rei were just starting a relationship… but some things need to occur for other plot points further on in the story to occur… and for that, I am sorry.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	12. Mending Fences

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back

* * *

Chapter 12 – Mending Fences  
September 28, 2016 – Outside Tokyo–3

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Unit–01 was still roaring at the sky in agony with Shinji. The ground was shaking wildly from the energy being expended outwards by Unit–01's powerful A.T. Field. The ground was also fracturing under unit–01's feet, causing the rescue teams to hold off from entering the area due to the massive danger.

Shinji was still shouting and crying inside his Entry Plug. "BRING HER BACK!" Shinji cried. "BRING BACK, REI!"

" _Shinji… please…_ " Misato stammered. " _We can't search the area until you calm down._ "

"I'M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!" Shinji shouted. "NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO REI! WHY DID YOU LET HER DO THAT! WHY, MISATO!? WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE!?"

" _Shinji… she did it save us all._ " Maya said worriedly.

"SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO DIE!" Shinji screamed. "SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE! TELL ME WHY SHE HAD TO DIE! SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHY!"

" _She did what she had to do, Shinji._ " Gendo said.

"YOU DON'T GET TO TALK TO ME!" Shinji roared. "YOU DON'T GET TO PASS THIS OFF LIKE YOU DO ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE! YOU LET HER DIE!"

" _Commander, I don't believe you're helping._ " Fuyutsuki said. " _Shinji, if you don't calm down, you'll end up hurting the people you want to protect._ "

"I DON'T CARE! I ALREADY FAILED AT DOING THAT!" Shinji shouted. "I JUST WATCHED HER DIE, AND I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Unit–01's mouth started to glow and its A.T. Field focused in the back of its mouth. The ball of red energy collected and fired a blast straight into the sky, the sky turned blood red and the beam dissolved any clouds it passed through as it reached high into the atmosphere and reached into space. The effects of Shinji's rage were being felt even more on the ground. The ground around Unit–01 had collapsed into a small crater of its own, and everything was vibrating dangerously. Tokyo–3 was in danger of collapsing.

" _Shinji, stop!_ " Maya pleaded. " _If you don't calm down, we can't save Asuka or Mari… and we can't search for Rei…_ "

" _Maya…_ " Misato warned.

"WHAT IS THERE TO LOOK FOR!?" Shinji shouted. "SHE… SHE… BLEW HERSELF UP! I JUST SAW IT, SHE'S GONE AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

" _Shinji, please…_ " Misato begged. " _If you keep this up, Rei's sacrifice will mean nothing if you destroy the city!_ "

"I DON'T CARE, I WANT HER BACK!" Shinji shouted. "I WANT MY FRIEND BACK! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"S _hinji!_ " Maya pleaded. " _Please, calm down and get back here… we… we need to treat your injuries, and we need to find Asuka and Mari before it's too late…_ "

Shinji snapped out of his rage spiral. "Asuka…" Shinji said. "What about Asuka!?"

" _She's dying, Shinji!_ " Maya explained. " _Asuka and Mari are dying… we need to save them, now! Please, Shinji… calm down so we can save them… please…_ "

Shinji's response was silent, with Unit–01 ceasing its destructive red energy blast into the air, and the shaking slowly subsided. Shinji's rage had subsided as well, and now he was worried about Asuka and Mari, as he realized that Rei was beyond help.

"Get them back…" Shinji said weakly. "Please…"

" _We, will, Shinji…_ " Maya said kindly.

" _Shinji, get to the nearest elevator for immediate recovery._ " Misato ordered.

"Understood…" Shinji mumbled as he moved the control yokes unsteadily.

Unit–01 moved slowly towards the nearest Evangelion elevator to be pulled back down into NERV HQ while the rescue teams sped by, looking for everyone who was missing.

–––

It had been several hours since the fight. It took time to find the Evangelions, as they were buried under several inches of dirt released by the destruction of Unit–00. The teams found Asuka first inside Unit–02, which was laying on its back. Unit–02 wasn't badly damaged, but where the tentacles had made contact, there was severe charring and burning to the armor and the flesh of the red Evangelion. After taking the time to lift the Evangelion into a sitting position in order to access the Entry Plug, they were able to recover Asuka. She was covered in her own blood, from several lacerations to her midsection from the sympathetic injuries that matched her Evangelion's own. Asuka was barely conscious when they got her out, and she was muttering to herself incoherently.

"Shinji… Shinji… I love you…" Asuka mumbled. "Shinji… I'm sorry… where are you…" Asuka cried. "Momma… I'm sorry… I wrecked your Evangelion… don't leave me because I broke it… please… tell me how to be with Shinji… momma…"

"Poor girl…" One of the medics said. "Think she'll be ok?"

"Once we get her into the LCL bath, she'll be fine." The other medic said.

"It's just a shame she had to get this injured in the first place." The first medic said sullenly. "I'm really tired of seeing these kids like this…"

"Well, yeah, so am I… but with their jobs, it's kinda unavoidable." The other medic said.

However, it took longer for the recovery teams to find Unit–XP. It had been far more severely damaged by the assault from Armisael. Half destroyed and missing most of the armor covering the biological components, Unit–XP was a shell of its former self. The recovery team not only had several trucks to cart away the damaged remains of the mechanical arms and legs, but an even bigger crane was needed to suspend Unit–XP in order to recover Mari. When they found her she was in bad shape, unconscious and barely alive. Her arms and legs were a mess, covered in blood and her plugsuit had been torn to shreds by the amount of energy that passed through the Entry Plug when Armisael attacked. The scorch marks from the surge were visible all around her. Blood from a head wound partially obscured her face, and her glasses had been cracked from surge of energy pouring through her body. By the time Mari was pulled out, a portable tank of LCL was present, and she was submerged in it immediately, in the hopes that she would survive the trip back there. Asuka was in a similar tank next to her and saw her friend floating there through the orange liquid before she too lost consciousness.

–––

Kaji walked into Central Dogma. He had heard what happened and went to see if it was actually true. As he walked in, he saw that the Command Center was almost entirely empty. The people working at the smaller workstations on the lower levels and near the MAGI were gone, and the rest of the room was silent. As he moved closer to Misato, he heard Gendo and Fuyutsuki getting up to leave.

"Colonel… we leave the recovery operation in your hands." Fuyutsuki said.

"Understood, sir." Misato replied hollowly.

They left without another word and Kaji walked up quietly towards Misato.

"Misato… what happened?" Kaji asked. "Is it… true?"

"I… Kaji… it's…" Misato stammered. "It's true… Rei's… Rei's dead…"

"No…" Kaji muttered. "What about… everyone else?"

"I… I can't talk about this…" Misato mumbled. "I'm still waiting to hear from the recovery teams… excuse me for a moment…"

"Misato…" Kaji said. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I don't think so…" Misato said. "I'm… I'll be back shortly… can you uh… take over here for now? I'm going to go down to the Medical Wing, you know how they hate answering the phone."

"Yeah… go…" Kaji said. "I think I can handle this."

As Misato left, Hyuga and Aoba got up and looked over at Kaji. "Sir, do you mind if we leave? We… we uh… we need to…"

"Go." Kaji said. "But first… are the others alright?"

"Shinji's fine… he's still in shock." Aoba said. "As for the girls… Asuka's banged up pretty bad, and Mari's barely alive…"

"Right… thanks for letting me know." Kaji said.

"We'll be back shortly sir…" Aoba said. "We just need to…"

"I don't really care." Kaji said. "Just do it and get back to work."

"Yes, sir." Hyuga replied as the par left the room.

"Maya, you can leave too if you want, I won't tell anyone." Kaji said kindly. "You could use a break."

"I'm not abandoning Rei…" Maya said. "They're still searching for her."

"Maya, are you ok?" Kaji asked as he sat down next to her.

"No… I just watched probably the sweetest girl sacrifice herself without a second thought." Maya said. "And then I watched as Shinji lost it in a fit of rage… if he hadn't calmed down, Rei's sacrifice could have been for nothing… it was too terrible to watch."

"So that was the shaking then." Kaji said. "I'm guessing Shinji didn't take it very well…"

"He had an up close and personal viewing of what happened." Maya said. "He watched and couldn't do anything more than watch his friend die… and considering his reaction Asuka being hurt when he couldn't do anything, I can't blame him for losing his temper."

"Maya, are you sure, you're ok?" Kaji asked. "You seem… different…"

"I'm just sad, Kaji." Maya said. "I hate this job… everything here is awful, even that horrible Akagi woman… I hate that woman…"

"What did she do this time?" Kaji asked.

Maya began shaking in rage. "She… she made a remark about how there wouldn't be anything left of Rei to find… and I… I snapped and shouted at her…"

"Rightly so." Kaji said. "She's never really been a happy person."

"Yeah, and I used to have a crush on her…" Maya said. "I'm such an idiot…"

"No, you're not." Kaji said. "She's fooled a lot of people. To be fair, she's a broken person. I think she hates happy people because she can't be happy herself. I can't even pity her because of what she's done, she doesn't deserve it."

"What did she do?" Maya asked.

"Ah… that's a bit of a private story." Kaji said. "Maybe if you ask that nice girlfriend of yours to come and meet Misato and me for a couple's night, I'll tell you."

"Why exactly?" Maya asked. "Male fantasy?"

"I'm not that kind of guy, Maya." Kaji said. "But I am curious to meet Misato's ex and best friend from high school."

"Oh, you know about that?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, I just want to meet the girl that stole Misato's heart." Kaji said. "Kinda dumb, isn't it…"

"No, it's sweet…" Maya said. "You really care about her."

"I've loved her for a very long time." Kaji said. "She's a hard person not to love, really."

Maya started to tear up. "Rei was the same way…" Maya said tearfully. "And now… now she's gone…"

Kaji got up and hugged Maya tightly. "Don't cry… Rei was only doing what she thought was right… she wanted to save her friends." Kaji smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. "She did something not many people would be willing to do… she sacrificed herself selflessly to save everyone she cared about."

"That's a nice way to look at it." Maya said.

"It's the best way to look at it." Kaji said. "It's slightly less depressing that way."

"I guess it is…" Maya said as she wiped her face.

"Maya, sorry to change the subject, but can I ask what made you turn against Ritsuko?" Kaji asked. "I mean, you said you had a crush on her…"

"Yeah… it was the way she wrote off Shinji when the Twelfth Angel absorbed him…" Maya said. "She was so evil to Asuka and the others… it was hard to watch. I started to see who she truly was… an evil person…"

Misato walked back in with puffy eyes and saw Kaji and Maya talking. "Are you guys ok in here?"

Kaji turned and saw her eyes. "I'd have to ask the same thing of you."

"I've been better…" Misato said.

"Is it…" Maya said.

"Are the girls ok?" Kaji asked.

"Asuka and Mari are in critical condition." Misato said. "The doctors don't know if they'll make it… I… Shinji… I can't tell Shinji… he'll never forgive himself…"

"Misato…" Kaji said. "Where is Shinji?"

"He's heading to the Medical Wing… he's been sedated." Misato said. "They had to forcibly remove him from the Entry Plug, he's still so distraught that they had to sedate him. Kaji… I can't face him… he's going to hate me for letting Rei do that…"

"I'll go look after him." Kaji said as he got up and walked towards Misato. "You just worry about work. He's just angry right now, Misato… he doesn't mean it."

"I can't… I can't handle it if he hates me…" Misato said. "I don't want him to hate me."

"He doesn't." Kaji said consolingly as he hugged Misato gently. "Don't worry about, Misato… just give him some time, he's in shock… just like the rest of us are."

"Ok…" Misato said. "Please… take care of him…"

–––

It was nearing nightfall, the battle with Armisael had long since ended, and the three of the pilots had been recovered, however one pilot still had to be accounted for: Rei.

Due to the robust construction of the Entry Plug, Gendo had ordered a search for Rei, with the miniscule chance she was alive. Even if she had not survived, there would still be body to recover, and a soul to transfer to a new body, which wasn't public information, but Ritsuko understood the point of what she deemed a useless search.

So, Ritsuko was in an orange hazmat suit, combing through the wreckage and debris far outside of the crater where Unit–00 exploded. It was a horrific sight, and due to the fact that there hadn't been anything left of value in the crater, meaning that the search was extending away from the epicenter of the blast outwards.

Finally, after hours of searching, they found several items of Unit–00. First was its mostly intact Core. It had a few fractures, but scans showed it was still viable.

"Well, if we were to ever get another Evangelion and pilot, we would be able to rescue this one." Ritsuko said coldly.

"How could it have survived such a powerful explosion, ma'am?" Stevens, a researcher that worked for Ritsuko, asked.

"I'm not sure…" Ritsuko said. "These things are meant to take a beating, and of this survived the explosion, then the Entry Plug must have as well, in some form or another anyway."

"Do you think she survived?" Stevens asked.

"I doubt it." Ritsuko said plainly. "But this search is to see if she has escaped the clutches of death… so we soldier on."

A call came over Stevens' radio and he answered it, with a grim look on his face. "Ma'am, they found the Entry Plug. As per your instructions, no one has gone near it, and they have cordoned off the area."

"Fine, get Montez, we'll need his assistance." Ritsuko said as she headed for her Jeep.

Stevens and Montez arrived at the Jeep and climbed in as Ritsuko started it up. "Where is the Entry Plug?"

"About 8km South East of our current position, ma'am." Stevens replied.

Ritsuko drove off, not in any rush to get to the site. As she pulled up, they could see the heavily damaged Entry Plug. It was cordoned off by an orange banner tape, with a team of people mulling around outside the cordoned off area. Its entire surface was darker than usual, with some patches of it being heavily charred and burned. The Entry plug was also bent in several places, most likely by the explosion. There were also several burn holes in the Entry Plug, consistent with the explosion, the largest of which was in the main entry hatch. A small pool of LCL was gathered around it, meaning the burned holes occurred after the Entry Plug had landed.

"It's in better shape than I thought." Ritsuko said as she parked the Jeep. "Let's go have a look."

The trio walked towards the Entry Plug and saw even more damage up close. The once uniform and smooth surface was filled with dings and pot marks, scuffs and scrapes. Ritsuko hesitated at looking inside, as did the two men with her, as they were afraid of what they were going to find.

Ritsuko walked cautiously up to the Entry Plug and peered inside, and Stevens and Montez followed suit. When they peered through a large burned hole in the side they saw a horrific site which made Mendez vomit inside his helmet.

"What the hell is that?" Stevens muttered.

"That's what death looks like, Stevens." Ritsuko said. "A sad, mangled mess…"

The entire inside of the Entry Plug was burned and unrecognizable, and still situated, almost eerily were the burned remains of Rei and her plugsuit. The entire scene was too horrific to describe, and the smell was even worse, it was penetrating the air filter of the hazmat suits… the smell of death.

While Stevens ducked out to compose himself, Ritsuko glanced at the body in disgust. "What a waste… you didn't even save anyone important." Ritsuko said coldly. "You saved a useless wimp of a boy, a self–important cunt, and a girl who thinks she's funny when she's just a stupid nuisance."

Stevens came back and saw Ritsuko was still looking at Rei. "Ma'am, Montez is cleaning himself up… understandably, he's shaken up."

"Some people can't handle things like this." Ritsuko said. "It's not for the faint of heart."

"No…" Stevens said. "Uh, ma'am? What should we do with… what we've found."

"Stevens, mark this and everything in and around here as classified and destroy all of it." Ritsuko ordered. "No one talks about this to anyone, understood?"

"Understood ma'am." Stevens replied. "And, ma'am… what about the body?"

"Bring it to my lab." Ritsuko said. "I will deal with it personally. As far as anyone knows, we found nothing, is that understood?"

"Yes… ma'am." Stevens replied, slightly confused by what Ritsuko meant.

* * *

September 29, 2016 – NERV HQ

Gendo was brooding in his office. He was awaiting a report from Fuyutsuki about Rei's death, as he had some questions about how exactly she died. He was in no mood to see anyone else, and had refused to go and see Rei III into the world. The only person he would talk to was Fuyutsuki, as the pain he felt brought back the dark memories of when Yui and the first Rei died, he could not handle a third major loss like this… but he still needed to know exactly what killed her.

Gendo looked up when he heard a knock on the door.

"Fuyutsuki?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, Commander." Fuyutsuki replied through the door.

"Enter." Gendo said uneasily.

Fuyutsuki walked in with a report in hand. "I have the results of the autopsy here, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "They're worse than you expected them to be."

"How bad?" Gendo asked.

"Rei… she uh…" Fuyutsuki said uneasily. "She survived the explosion…"

"How?" Gendo asked.

"Well, if the prototype for the Entry Plug kept Katsuragi alive through Second Impact… then the Entry Plug can survive a simple explosion." Fuyutsuki said.

"How do they know for sure?" Gendo asked.

"Well, her lungs had smoke in them…" Fuyutsuki explained. "The LCL leaked out from a few fractures in the Entry Plug, leaving her essentially inside of an oven. Smoke got inside, then the fires burned through the hull of it in a few places… then she burned alive… Gendo… she could have been saved if we acted a bit faster…"

"How long did it take?" Gendo asked. "When was there no way to save her?"

"Three or four hours." Fuyutsuki replied. "The fires were out when the teams got there, but it was several hours past that survival time… we failed her."

"No, Ritsuko failed her." Gendo said. "If she had moved more expediently, then Rei would not have to be reborn a second time…" Gendo sighed deeply. "Like mother, like daughter… they've both got a young girl's blood on their hands."

"Well, she certainly seems more unstable than her mother ever was." Fuyutsuki said.

"Perhaps it is because she was raped as a teen…" Gendo explained. "…or perhaps because she was never really wanted by her mother, seen as a burden, or perhaps the fact her father would have rather had her aborted… she was not born of love, or even lust…"

"That isn't an excuse." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Well, it does explain a few things." Gendo said. "That, and I'm sure she hates me because I have not touched her in months."

"Well, her attitude has made people hate her." Fuyutsuki said. "It's her own fault, really."

"Of course it is." Gendo said. "She has never made a smart choice in her life… always acting impulsively, as smart as she claims to be, she is just a sad little girl who hates her mother for being better than her. So she will have to taught a lesson for letting Rei die."

"Of course." Fuyutsuki said. "Do you have something in mind?"

"No… she will need something far more painful than what happened to her mother." Gendo said. "If Rei died a slow and painful death, hers will need to be even slower and more painful."

"So you need time?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Isn't she a liability?"

"She is more useful at this point." Gendo said. "Ms. Ibuki may be the best person for the job, but she is not quite ready to take over yet."

"So we wait." Fuyutsuki said.

"Unfortunately, yes." Gendo said. "Are you going to Rei's rebirth?"

"No, I, like yourself cannot bear to see her go through that again." Fuyutsuki said. "I think Ritsuko can handle the resurrection on her own."

"Has Rei's death been kept quiet?" Gendo asked.

"Only six or seven people know, including ourselves and Dr. Akagi." Fuyutsuki said.

"That's a few too many." Gendo said. "I'll have Yamada take care of the… loose ends."

"Understood." Fuyutsuki said. "Anything else?"

"Rescind the evacuation order in the morning." Gendo said. "It's time to get the city back to normal before those idiotic bureaucrats act even more irrationally."

"I will deal with it, Commander." Fuyutsuki replied. "I do have some other reports if you're so inclined."

"Unit–00." Gendo asked. "Was anything other than the Entry Plug and Core recovered?"

"No… just those items." Fuyutsuki said. "The Core is intact, it can be used again, if we were to acquire another Evangelion for Rei to pilot."

"I don't think that is possible." Gendo said. "Construction on any Evangelions past Unit–04 have been put on hold indefinitely. Apparently the materials are needed elsewhere."

"So then it is certain, SEELE is planning an attack." Fuyutsuki said.

"Yes, and from five Evangelions, we have lost an one, have only two that are battle ready, with one more able to be easily repaired, and the last one ripped into pulp."

"It is unfortunate." Fuyutsuki said. "However, reports on Unit–XP say they can have its limbs repaired within two or three months."

"I don't think we have that much time." Gendo said. "It is becoming increasing dangerous. Is Unit–02 repaired?"

"Unit–01 and Unit–02 are already prepped once again." Fuyutsuki said. "Do you have any other questions or shall I leave?"

"No… I have one other question… about Unit–01." Gendo said. "What is your take on Shinji's latest outburst?"

"Well, he seems to be tapping into the EVA and drawing out its latent powers." Fuyutsuki said. "Even with that most recent rampage, his sync score and synchrograph were stable throughout. It's quite an impressive, if not disturbing feat."

"Yes…" Gendo said. "Yui does not seem to be helping him as actively anymore. He is learning to use the EVA himself… he will eventually uncover its true power."

"Do you trust Shinji with it?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Do you trust him with all that power?"

"After his reaction to Rei and Asuka…" Gendo said. "He will only ever use that power to save others, he won't hurt anyone mindlessly, he will focus his rage on those that deserve it. If SEELE were to ever attack this base, and threaten those he cares about, he would wipe them out entirely."

"So, what is Shinji to you?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Our ace in the hole." Gendo replied. "He will protect us all, and in doing so, he will bring my plan to fruition. He will bring his mother back to us…"

"Why do you trust him, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Because, above all else, and despite him having me as a father… he is a good person." Gendo said. "That is why I can trust him."

–––

Ritsuko was standing in dark room with a vertical cylinder of LCL in front of her. Inside the cylinder was a new Rei, Rei III. She was naked and her eyes were closed, as Rei's soul was still being transferred to the new body. However as Ritsuko looked around the room impatiently. She was trying to avoid the gaze of those around her, the gaze of the hundreds of Rei clones floating naked in a massive tank that encompassed the room.

"Damn dolls." Ritsuko muttered. "You're not even real people. Just cheap imitations." Ritsuko glared at the new Rei in the cylinder in front of her. "That especially goes for you, you stupid thing. I hate you."

Ritsuko checked the status of Rei's soul and saw it was still being transferred. She hated being in this room. She looked over at Rei's still body. She looked at her smooth, flawless skin and soft flowing hair as she floated there, still lifeless.

"Why do you have to be so pretty?" Ritsuko asked. "Why couldn't you be as ugly as your piecemeal soul?! Why can't you stay dead?!"

Ritsuko threw her coffee cup at the cylinder and it shattered on impact, scattering pieces of ceramic and the remnants of Ritsuko's cold, stale coffee on the floor. "I hate you… you used to be so obedient, so subservient! Then you met Shinji… the son of that whore, and that fucking asshole! Then that big titted slut showed up followed by the redheaded whore! They changed you and made you human… you're not human! You don't deserve to be human!" Ritsuko raged. "You deserve to have that snapped little neck my mother gave you a six years ago! You're an abomination with friends! You don't deserve them! I'm a person, and I don't have any friends, why do you get to have them?! How do you think they'll react when they finally find out you're a freak of nature! Do you think Shinji will still like you when he finds out you're cloned from his mother? Will that big titted slut still love you when she finds out you're not even a person?! I doubt it, they'll abandon you, and you'll finally be alone and pliable again, just like you're supposed to be!"

The machine in front of Ritsuko brought her out of her rage. It beeped several times, indicated Rei's soul had been fully transferred into her new body. Rei's eyes slowly opened, and she stared blankly at Ritsuko from the cylinder.

"Well… the abomination is ready for her third life…" Ritsuko muttered. "Fine…" Ritsuko tapped several buttons on the control console and emptied the cylinder of the LCL suddenly, causing Rei to fall and crumple to the bottom of it, and lay there.

"What, can't you get up?" Ritsuko shouted as the cylinder opened.

Rei got to her feet unsteadily. Even though she had memories of standing and walking before, this was her first time experiencing it. When she was mostly steady on her feet, she turned slowly to the opening and faced Ritsuko. "Who are you?"

"What, you don't remember me?" Ritsuko asked. "Do you remember your name?"

"I am… Rei Ayanami." Rei replied. "I remember… other things… but it is all… jumbled. I cannot piece my memories together. I am… confused."

"Well, at least you're not that stupid." Ritsuko said absentmindedly.

"I am not stupid." Rei replied. "I know I am the third."

"Excuse me?" Ritsuko asked. "Are you contradicting me?"

"I am defending my self–worth from your baseless accusations." Rei said. "I know I am not stupid… am I not supposed to correct others when they are wrong?"

"No… you're supposed to be obedient to your elders." Ritsuko said.

"I do not have any elders." Rei said. "I was created… not born… I do not have parents…"

"Good, so you know that you're an abomination." Ritsuko said coldly.

"I am not an abomination." Rei replied. "I did not wish to be created… I do not even remember who you are… yet you hate me. Why do you hate me? What did I do to hurt your feelings?"

"Your attitude and lack of respect annoys me." Ritsuko said. "Now, lay down on the table."

"Why?" Rei asked.

"I need to make sure you're healthy." Ritsuko said.

Rei gave her a puzzled look and went over to the table on the side of the room. Rei laid down and was then surprised when she was forcibly restrained to the table by Ritsuko.

"Why have you restrained me?" Rei asked.

"Well, it's quite simple really…" Ritsuko said as she grabbed a heavy bag full of tools. "No one else knows what you are… and they are to assume that you have survived, you have to be injured, don't you?"

Rei got a worried look in her eye. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I am going to break your bones and cause you many different injuries to make it look as though you barely lived through that stupid stunt of yours.” Ritsuko said coldly.  
  
"What did I do?" Rei asked. "I do not remember any of this."

"You will… in time…" Ritsuko said angrily.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Rei asked.

"I don't like you." Ritsuko said. "Do I need more of a reason?"

"I do not know." Rei said nervously.

"Seeing as you don't know, we should begin." Ritsuko said as she grabbed a tool from the bag. "This will hurt you far more than it will hurt me."

"AAAAHHHHH!" Rei screamed as Ritsuko began.

* * *

September 30, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji had been released from the hospital. No one was there to greet him as he left the hospital, so he walked out alone, unsure if any of his friends were ok. No one had informed him of Asuka or Mari's current health, and Shinji still assumed that Rei was dead.

Shinji has gotten his clothes from the locker room and had also taken his SDAT from his locker and boarded a train home. He turned it on for the first time in a great while as he tried to suppress all the negative things he was thinking. He found the last track he had been on and played it, with the song fitting his mood exactly.

 **♪Your subtleties**  
**They strangle me**  
**I can't explain myself at all**  
**And all that wants**  
**And all that needs**  
**All I don't want to need at all**

 **The walls start breathing**  
**My mind's unweaving**  
**Maybe it's best you leave me alone**  
**A weight is lifted**  
**On this evening**  
**I give the final blow**

 **When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

 **A falling star**  
**Least I fall alone**  
**I can't explain what you can't explain**  
**You're finding things that you didn't know**  
**I look at you with such disdain**

 **The walls start breathing**  
**My mind's unweaving**  
**Maybe it's best you leave me alone**  
**A weight is lifted**  
**On this evening**  
**I give the final blow**

 **When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

 **Now I'm on my own side**  
**It's better than being on your side**  
**It's my fault when you're blind**  
**It's better that I see it through your eyes**

 **All these thoughts locked inside**  
**Now you're the first to know**

 **When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

 **When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight♪**

When the train arrived at Shinji's stop he pulled the SDAT out of his ears and walked calmly out of the train. He walked alone to the apartment, as he got into the elevator he noticed the lack of Misato's car in the parking lot.

He came into the darkened apartment, and realized that the last time he had been here was the day of the battle. Section 2 had dragged them from the apartment to NERV HQ to deal with the Angel. Shinji looked and noticed the apartment was exactly how they had left it. Two day old breakfast sat out on the table, with everyone's half eaten food laying to waste.

Shinji sat down where he had been eating days before and gazed at the empty chairs around the table. He couldn't help but think that those chairs were never be filled again.

"I hope you're both ok…" Shinji said towards Asuka and Mari's chairs. "No one's told me anything… they just told me to go home. Please… don't be dead. I don't know what I would do if I lost you both."

Shinji turned to Asuka's chair. "Asuka… I love you… I just want you to be safe. When I see you again, I'm going to ask you out… I don't want to risk losing you without…" Shinji's eyed welled with tears. "Without ever having a relationship with you… I want to be with you more than ever… please be ok…"

Shinji faced towards Mari's chair. "I know you liked Rei… and I'm sorry I couldn't save her… I failed… I was too weak to do anything." Shinji shook with sadness. "Please… don't be dead…"

Shinji turned to Rei's chair as his eyes teared up even more. "Rei… I'm… I'm so sorry." Shinji cried. "I… I wish you hadn't of done that. I didn't deserve to be saved… you shouldn't be dead… I should have found a way to kill that thing… I'm sorry!"

Shinji sat there and cried at the table for some time before he was able to compose himself. Once he got a hold of himself, he eased himself up from the table and began collecting the scraps of food and throwing the out. He then did the dishes in silence. He looked around the kitchen after it was clean, but the memory of everyone siting in there still haunted him.

Pen–Pen popped out of his fridge with a look of concern on his face. He waddled over and wrapped his fins around Shinji's leg and nuzzled him. "Wark…" Pen–Pen said consolingly.

"Hey buddy…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry I woke you up… I'm just sad."

"Wark… wark…" Pen–Pen said.

"Thanks buddy." Shinji said. "Do you want some jerky?" Pen–Pen shook his head. "Ok, well… I don't want to stay in the kitchen, ok?"

Shinji walked into the living room and looked around and Pen–Pen followed closely behind him. Shinji saw that the rest of the apartment was fairly clean and that he had nothing else to do. Shinji looked longing at the couch and decided to lay down, with Pen–Pen hopping up as he settled in and cuddled up against him. Shinji turned on his SDAT player to drown out his sorrows while Pen–Pen snored softly next to him.

 **♪Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Like my father's come to pass**  
**Seven years has gone so fast**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

 **Here comes the rain again**  
**Falling from the stars**  
**Drenched in my pain again**  
**Becoming who we are**  
**As my memory rests**  
**But never forgets what I lost**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

 **Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Ring out the bells again**  
**Like we did when spring began**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

 **Here comes the rain again**  
**Falling from the stars**  
**Drenched in my pain again**  
**Becoming who we are**  
**As my memory rests**  
**But never forgets what I lost**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

 **Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Like my father's come to pass**  
**Twenty years has gone so fast**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Wake me up when September ends♪**

The song ended, but Shinji didn't notice, as he fell asleep as the next rack started. Shinji needed the sleep, as the whole time he was in the hospital being checked for Angelic contamination, he didn't sleep at all. So, now that he was back in a safe place, Shinji was able to finally get some much needed rest.

–––

It was dark out. Shinji had slept most of the day away. He was resting comfortably, however, he did not know he was about to be interrupted. Shinji was disturbed from his sullen slumber by Kaji, who had gotten into the apartment even though Shinji had locked the door behind him.

"Hey, kiddo, you doing ok?" Kaji asked.

Shinji was so startled by being woke up that he accidentally sent Pen–Pen tumbling to the floor. Pen–Pen gave a dirty look to Kaji for disturbing his sleep and waddled back into the kitchen in a huff.

Shinji gave his own dirty look to Kaji, and took out his earphones. "No… I'm not."

"Anything you want to talk about?" Kaji asked.

"Do you know about Mari and Asuka?" Shinji asked. "Are they ok… are they… alive? What about Rei? Have they found her yet?"

"They were barely alive when they were found." Kaji said. "But they're getting better. They've been in LCL since they were found, and their injuries are being healed quite well, they should be ok in a few days. As for Rei… teams are still out looking. They found the Entry Plug empty. But they haven't found her yet… there's still hope, Shinji, Rei could be alive."

"What if they find her and she's…" Shinji stammered.

"We'll cross that bridge if it comes to it." Kaji said kindly.

"What about Asuka and Mari?" Shinji asked. "When can I go see them? I want to know that they're ok. I need to see that they're ok."

"I… I don't know, Shinji." Kaji said. "How about I bring you by tomorrow, how does that sound? They should be out of isolation by then."

"Is Misato ok?" Shinji asked. "She wasn't there when they let me out…"

"Shinji… she was busy." Kaji said. "She's having a hard time right now. Rei's death has done a lot to her too. She's been crying Shinji… she didn't even know you were released. She found out after you got home."

"Then why didn't she come home?" Shinji asked. "Why are you the one here and not her?"

"She thinks you're mad at her." Kaji said. "That and the fallout from this fight has caused a lot complaints from the U.N. and the Japanese government. I guess they're all afraid that if an Evangelion was destroyed by an Angel then humanity is in far greater danger than they ever realized."

"What about Rei?" Shinji asked. "Do they know she could be dead, do they know that we all almost died? Or are they too worried, about their own useless lives? Do they even know what we sacrifice so they stay safe?!"

"Well, politicians generally do worry about themselves above others." Kaji said. "And you're not wrong, they are more worried about their own possessions and their positions than anything else."

"So Misato has to deal with that?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… and I've told her you don't hate her, but she doesn't believe me." Kaji said. "And your most recent outburst has a lot of people scared."

"I don't care if they're scared." Shinji said. "I was angry and I was sad. What else was I supposed to do? No one listens to me unless I'm mad. I didn't mean for Misato to be afraid of me… I just… I just wanted answers. I don't hate her… can you tell her I told you that?"

"Tell her yourself." Kaji said. "Misato, you can stop hiding now."

Misato came out of the kitchen, her eyes were bloodshot and she looked exhausted, but she had a small smile on her face. Pen–Pen was in her arms nuzzling her chest.

"Misato… are you ok?" Shinji asked.

"I'm better now that I know you don't hate me." Misato said. "And I'm sorry too… we should have never sent you guys out there. We didn't do enough recon…"

Shinji got up and walked over to Misato and hugged her tightly, causing Pen–Pen to squawk loudly. "I didn't mean to make you think I hated you… I hate myself… I couldn't… I couldn't save her…"

"Shinji… you did your best." Misato said. "Don't ever let anyone else tell you different."

"But…" Shinji said.

"Shinji." Kaji said sternly. "You did the same for them against the Twelfth Angel. Rei was only doing what she was right. Shinji… you're not to blame. You should be proud of Rei for being as brave as she was. Don't undersell what she did, ok?"

"Ok…" Shinji muttered. "I just wish I could tell her… thank you…"

"When they find her you will…" Misato said. "They're still looking… there's some hope. You just have to believe."

"I… I can't…" Shinji said tearfully as he let go of Misato. "I saw it up close… she said… she said goodbye! She said the one thing I told her to never say again before a mission! She knew she was going to die! She knew!"

"Shinji, you need to relax." Kaji said. "You'll be able to tell her all this yourself. Just give them more time…"

"It's been two days!" Shinji said. "They need to find her soon, otherwise… there won't be any hope left!"

"Kaji…" Misato said. "Shinji has a point. I want Rei to be ok too, but there's such a small chance for her to be ok… we shouldn't be getting his hopes up."

"Yeah… I just don't want to believe it either." Kaji said. "She deserves so much more."

"I know…" Misato said as Pen–Pen hopped out of her arms. "But…"

"She's dead…" Shinji said.

"But as long as you never forget her sacrifice, she won't ever truly be gone." Kaji said.

"I know." Shinji said. "Do Mari and Asuka know?"

"No… they've been unconscious." Misato said. "Why?"

"I… I need to be the one to tell them." Shinji said.

"Why?" Misato asked.

"Because if it's not me, then they'll wonder why I didn't tell them myself." Shinji said. "They need to know… I can't hide this from them either."

"When would you tell them?" Kaji asked.

"As soon as they wake up." Shinji said. "They would appreciate it… even if it's bad news."

"Shinji, are you sure?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji said sullenly. "I know them, they hate being kept in the dark."

"If you say so." Misato said.

"Can I go stay in the Medical Wing with them?" Shinji asked. "They've done it for me so many times… I don't want them to be alone."

"I'll see if they'll put them both in one room." Kaji said. "That way you can watch them both, and no one will be mad that you weren't there for them."

"Thanks, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Well, why don't we all go to bed?" Misato said. "I have to be into work early… Kaji can drive you in at more reasonable hour."

"No, I want to go see Asuka and Mari right away." Shinji said. "I don't care if I'm waiting there forever. I just want to see them…"

"Ok… as long as you don't mind my driving." Misato said.

"The risk is worth it." Shinji said as he went to his room. "See you in the morning."

"Night, kid." Kaji said as he walked to Misato's room.

"Good night, Shinji." Misato said as she followed Kaji.

"Wark!" Pen–Pen squawked as he waddled to his fridge.

* * *

October 1, 2016 – Undisclosed Location

Twelve dark and quiets obelisk sat in a room. A hum began as they began to light up in sequence, as the members of SEELE gathered for another meeting.

"Is everyone here?" 'SEELE 01' asked.

"I believe so, sir." 'SEELE 03' replied.

"Excellent." 'SEELE 01' said proudly. "We have much to discuss."

"Yes… the Sixteenth Angel, Armisael, has eliminated a minor threat." 'SEELE 06' said. "Unit–00 is no more. And its pilot is presumed dead. Two deep blows for Ikari. He will not be able to recover from this."

"No, Ikari has survived worse." 'SEELE 02' postulated. "We killed his wife, and the other woman he loved, her mind was broken. This will simply be an irritation to him."

"We also destroyed the wrong Evangelion." 'SEELE 04' said angrily. "The god like powers of Unit–01 still roam this Earth. Its most recent outburst nearly ripped Tokyo–3 apart. If he had not been stopped…"

"The younger Ikari would have been able to start instrumentality on his own." 'SEELE 07' said. "He is a great threat to our great plan."

"To everything written in the Dead Sea Scrolls!" 'SEELE 11' shouted.

"Then we must find a way to stop him." 'SEELE 03' said. "He is too powerful, both of them are too powerful!"

"Yes, nut every Angel we have thrown at them has been destroyed." 'SEELE 01' said. "Our plan for revenge against Ikari bucking our plans at every turn is not working."

"Sahaquiel, Ireul, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael all failed in their missions." 'SEELE 02' explained. "Even though Bardiel and Arael caused much emotional damage, and Zeruel caused major to their headquarters, we have not gained any ground. Even with Armisael's half a victory, we still have three Evangelions left to contend with, all with highly capable pilots, and a highly competent tactical commander."

"So what should we do?" 'SEELE 08' asked.

"We need to break the younger Ikari's mind and spirit." 'SEELE 05' said.

"We know from our spies that the young Ikari is in love with Soryu's daughter." 'SEELE 10' said. "What if we kill her to break his spirit?"

"Yes… that is one plan." 'SEELE 01' said. "But we also have a one last Angel that could do the job… Tabris."

"Is it really safe to use him?" 'SEELE 03' asked.

"Yes, we can trust him." 'SEELE 01' said. "He can sew discord amongst the pilots, breaking their friendships and making them all weak… then when Tabris walks up to Lilith unencumbered by those pesky pilots, he will begin our instrumentality, and we will have won."

"Why not just simply kill them?" 'SEELE 12' asked.

"That is too simple of a solution, doomed to failure." 'SEELE 03' explained. "The Seventeenth Angel must attack in order for everything to come true. He is the final soldier of the Angelic army, the leader and second son."

"So when does Tabris strike?" 'SEELE 08' asked.

"As soon as he is prepped on his cover identity, and as soon as we can convince the good doctor at NERV to recruit a new pilot." 'SEELE 02' said. "It will take some convincing of course, and we will need to use Marduk to our advantage."

"So, it is possible?" 'SEELE 05' asked.

"Yes…" 'SEELE 01' said. "And if the pilot of Unit–01 is no longer able to pilot, then his Evangelion will not be able to oppose us, and neither will any of the others."

"So, we will be able to finally become the gods of men?" 'SEELE 07' asked.

"Yes, after all this time, our plans will finally come to fruition." 'SEELE 01' said proudly. "We will destroy NERV and create our new world without anyone's intervention!"

"So, the plan for our revenge is complete." 'SEELE 04' said. "We have finally won."

"Yes, nothing can stop us now!" 'SEELE 02' said joyously.

"We are unbeatable!" 'SEELE 04' proclaimed.

"The Dead Sea Scrolls will guide us to our ultimate goal!" 'SEELE 03' rejoiced.

"Yes… we will prevail." 'SEELE 01' said. "All we need now is a bit more patience, and our goals will be realized. I will begin the preparations for Tabris to ensnare Tokyo–3… he will destroy everything." 'SEELE 01' paused. "Is there anything else we must discuss?" The room was silent. "Then let us celebrate our victory in our own ways, and await the day we become gods!"

And with that, the obelisks went dark once more as events were set in motion that would have ramifications far beyond the mental health of three children.

–––

Shinji arrived mostly in one piece that morning. Even though Misato had driven him, and Kaji followed as closely and safely as he could, Shinji still regretted his decision to go in Misato's car. However, the three of them arrived at the same time, and Shinji was guided to the Medical Wing by both adults.

As Shinji sat there alone, waiting for Misato and Kaji to finish talking to the medical staff, he saw someone walking towards him that looked familiar, but he couldn't place. She had long and beautiful brunette hair and was wearing a pink t–shirt and a thigh length white skirt. It took him a second to realize who it was without the bandages around her head. She smiled and waved as Shinji, and that's when he realized who it was… Sakura.

"Hiya, Shinji!" Sakura said brightly. "What are you doing here?"

"S… Sakura?" Shinji said in shock. "You're… you've been released?"

"Yeah, they just let me out today! I was just telling my lump of a brother the good news." Sakura said. "If you visited more, you'd have known that." Sakura said with a frown, but then noticed Shinji started to tear up. "Oh, I was just kidding, I know you're busy, Shinji."

Shinji wiped his face. "No… it's not that." Shinji said. "It's just, so much has happened."

"Yeah, I know, apparently Hikari hasn't been here in like three or four days." Sakura said. "She's here every day without fail."

"It's because of the last Angel… the evacuation was only lifted a few hours ago." Shinji said. "We've had so many Angels to fight, we haven't had much time for anything else. The last two were the worst…"

"Worse than being stuck in your Evangelion?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah… the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Angels were too strong…" Shinji said as his eyes teared up again.

"Shinji… are you ok?" Sakura asked.

"No…" Shinji said shakily.

Sakura sat down next to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. "It's ok to cry, Shinji, just tell me what happened with those two Angels."

"Well… the Fifteenth… she assaulted Asuka's mind." Shinji explained. "I tried my best to help… but I got trapped too… then me and Asuka found out while we were trapped we met as kids… and I told her I loved her… then Rei saved us… she killed it and saved us."

"Then what happened?" Sakura asked.

"Then we were held in a taped off area and got in a fight." Shinji said tearfully. "I told her again that I loved her… and she asked why I would bother, and I said it's because I've loved her since we met… and then she said she loved me too, but hated herself for forgetting we met as kids. We haven't really… spoken since then."

"She said that?" Sakura asked. "She admitted she loved you?"

"Yeah… and now…" Shinji stammered. "Now because of this last Angel, I don't even know if she's ok!"

"What happened with this one?" Sakura asked. "Is she hurt?"

Shinji nodded his head. "This Angel was the worst… it was just a noodle thing, Mari called it a tentacle, and it decimated us. It took… Rei hostage… it wiped the floor with me, and Asuka, and Mari… we couldn't do anything… we were powerless…"

"How did you defeat it?" Sakura asked.

"I… I didn't… Rei did…" Shinji said. "She… she…" Shinji broke down in tears.

"Shinji… what happened?" Sakura asked consolingly. "Why are you crying?"

"Rei… she's dead!" Shinji shouted. "She… trapped the Angel in her A.T. Field and activated the self–destruct… she'd been missing since… since the battle… I saw it happen, I tried to stop her… but I was too late… I watched as she and Unit–00 exploded in a bright flash of light…I watched her die… she… scarified herself for all of us…"

Sakura teared up this news. "So that girl with the blue hair… died?"

"Yeah… she's…" Shinji said as he kept crying. "Did you ever meet her?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, she visited once with Mari…" Sakura said through her tears. "She was very nice…" Sakura tried to wipe her tears, but they kept coming. "How do you know that she's… dead?"

"They… haven't found her yet…" Shinji said as he continued to cry. "But… but… it's been so long, I don't think she could have survived… it's all my fault."

"Oh… Shinji… it's not your fault." Sakura said as she started to cry. "You did your best… you can't blame yourself… she… was so nice… she was protecting her friends…"

"I know… but I should have fought harder…" Shinji said. "I should have done more…"

"Shinji, there's only so much you can do." Sakura said. "You saved me and my brother, and you did everything you could for us like you did for Rei… it's ok…"

"I know… I just wanted to do more…" Shinji cried. "She deserved better…"

"Shinji… its ok." Sakura said soothingly. "Just let it out…"

Shinji nuzzled Sakura's collar bone and cried into her trembling body. Sakura did her best not to cry, but could not contain herself, as she had never known someone who had died. So, as the two of them cried in each other's arms, Hikari arrived having been freed from the cramped and smelly shelter. She saw the two of them hugging and ran over to them happily, unaware of what had happened.

"Hey Shinji, hey Sakura!" Hikari said brightly. "Boy I'm glad to be out of that damn shelter… it smelled like sour milk and feet…" Hikari noticed the two of them were crying. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"

Shinji looked at Hikari, and she could see the guilt on his face. "Shinji… what happened." Hikari said, her tone noticeably more worried than before. "Is… everyone ok?"

"No…" Shinji cried. "Asuka and Mari are in the hospital… and Rei, Rei's dead!" Shinji started crying harder than ever as Sakura tried to calm him down, to no avail.

"Sakura… did he… is he…" Hikari asked.

Sakura looked up at Hikari. "He explained it to me… the Angel was too strong, it hurt Asuka and Mari pretty bad, and Rei… she sacrificed herself so the others would survive. He saw it up close." Sakura rubbed Shinji's back as he kept crying. "He's pretty upset. He says he didn't do enough to save her."

"That's just Shinji feeling guilty over something he couldn't control." Hikari said shakily. "I can't believe… I mean… " Hikari walked over to Shinji and pulled him from Sakura's grasp. "Shinji, look at me, please."

Shinji looked up at Hikari and she kissed him gently on the forehead. "Shinji, you didn't do this, just like you didn't hurt sakura, and you didn't hurt Toji. It's the Angel's fault."

"B… but…" Shinji stammered.

"No, I forbid you to blame yourself!" Hikari said. "I know Asuka and Mari will tell you the same thing. You have to stop this, Shinji, not everything is your fault."

"But…" Shinji started.

"I said, stop it!" Hikari shouted as she too started crying. "It's not your fault! Did you fight the Angel the best you could?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Then you did everything you could!" Hikari said. "Rei did something brave, and… and I want her back too, but it's not possible is it?"

Shinji shook his head. "It would take a miracle."

"Miracles happen." Sakura said as she wiped her eyes. "Shinji saved me, Rei might be out there… you just need to have hope."

"See, that's what I was saying." Kaji said.

"Mr. Kaji?" Sakura asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Misato about the girls." Kaji said. "They're being moved to a room now, Shinji. They'll be in the same room too, just like at home."

"Are they ok?" Shinji asked.

"The injuries they had were mostly sympathetic injuries from the EVA." Misato said. "They're mostly healed, but they're still out cold."

"Can I… can I go see them?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, in a minute." Misato said. "I'm guessing you told them about Rei?"

"Yeah…" Hikari said as she wiped her eyes. "Are you sure she's…"

"We're presuming she's dead." Kaji said. "No… uh… body has been found yet. But she could have survived. Like little Sakura there said, you've got to have some hope."

"I've told you before, I'm not little." Sakura said. "I'm 13!"

"I know, I'm only kidding." Kaji said. "But seriously, Shinji, the girls will be fine, and we'll know something about Rei soon."

"Do you want to go see them?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "I'm going to stay with them until they wake up."

"We'll come with you…" Hikari suggested.

"No…" Kaji said. "It was hard enough to get them to allow Shinji to stay with them overnight… something about young boys taking advantage of a situation…"

Shinji looked at Kaji in horror. "I… I would never…" Shinji said. "That's just wrong!"

"I know, Shinji, Misato set them straight." Kaji said.

"Yeah, I told Nurse Ratchet that you would never do something like that to them because they're your best friends, and if she had problem with my request to shove it up her ass."

"What did she do?" Sakura asked.

"She called my bluff and the Sub–Commander overrode her." Misato said. "But its Shinji only I'm afraid."

"Ok…" Hikari said. "I'm going to go see Toji then…"

"I'll go with you." Sakura said. "We should tell him about Rei, right?"

"No, don't tell him about Rei." Kaji said. "It's a bit much right now, even if he's getting out in a few weeks."

"I don't want to lie to him." Hikari said. "He needs to know, he deserves to know, she tried to save I'm once before, and she's our friend too!"

"Kaji… she's right." Shinji said as he wiped the half dried tears off his face. "Toji should know… just that she's missing."

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Tell him the truth, she's been missing since the fight, and we don't have any idea where she is, she's presumed dead… it's the truth, even if it is filled with hope…" Kaji said. "Right, Shinji?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Do you really think she's alive, Shinji?" Hikari asked.

"I said I don't think so." Shinji replied. "I want to believe she's alive… but she told me goodbye… I just…"

"I get it." Hikari said. "But you know you have to tell them gently. Rei's been Asuka's best friend the past few weeks."

"I know…" Shinji said. "I don't want her to cry… and Mari… she'll be heartbroken… but I'm the only one that can tell them… even if I don't want to."

Hikari kissed Shinji on the cheek. "You can do it, Shinji." Hikari said. "I believe in you."

Sakura kissed Shinji's other cheek. "Yeah, they'll know it's not your fault either."

"Ok…" Shinji said. "Tell Toji… hi for me."

"I'll tell him you're with them." Hikari said. "He'll understand."

"And if he doesn't, I'll yell at him." Sakura said.

Sakura turned and walked towards her brother's room, but Hikari stayed behind for a moment. "Shinji…" Hikari said.

"I know Hikari." Shinji replied. "You don't have to say it."

"As long as you know it's not your fault." Hikari said as she walked away. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok." Shinji said as Hikari walked away. Shinji turned to Misato and Kaji. "Where are they being cared for?"

"They're in Cranial Ward 6." Misato said. "I'll come check on you later, ok?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Central Dogma, I'm on shift." Misato said. "Where else?"

"I'm, going with her." Kaji said. "If we find something out about Rei… I'll come tell you right away."

"Alright…" Shinji said. "I'll be alright… don't worry."

"We're not." Kaji said as he walked off towards the elevators. "Keep your chin up, kid."

"Bye, Shinji." Misato said as she followed him.

Shinji waked silently into the room Misato had directed him to. Inside he saw two beds, with Asuka on the left near the windows, Mari on the right. They both looked like they were ok, and resting peacefully. However, Shinji could only see their heads, so any other injuries they might have were hidden. Shinji took a chair and set it in between their beds, settling in. He looked at both of them and smiled.

"I'm glad you're ok…" Shinji said. "I just wish we were all here together."

Shinji settled into the chair and started to drift off to sleep, hoping that they would wake up as they he wished to tell them everything and to tell Asuka specifically that he wanted to be with her and couldn't wait anymore, and hoped that she would understand.

–––

Keel Lorenz was alone. He was inside a massive underground complex below his home in Obersalzberg. He was moving amongst his collection of prized artifacts, which after a theft at his Berlin residence the previous year lost him the fetal body the First Angel, Adam, Keel had moved all of his materials here, including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

He walked down the longest corridor towards a small, isolated chamber. He stepped inside and turned on the lights, revealing a somewhat barren room. A single bed, a desk with an old laptop, a dresser and a lamp were against one wall while against the other was a large cylinder filled to the brim with LCL. Inside the cylinder was a single occupant, a teenaged boy with long, messy, silvery white hair and crimson eyes.

"Ah… Tabris." Keel said. "You're awake."

"Of course, I felt Armisael leave this world. My sister is gone, as are the rest of my siblings" Kaworu said with a grimace. "But I have told you not to call me Tabris… I am Kaworu Nagisa."

"So, you take your role seriously?" Keel asked.

"Yes, I cannot wait to meet the people you have told me about." Kaworu said. "I want to make the acquaintance of those you have told me so much about."

"Yes, well it is time for you to get ready, Tabris." Keel said as he typed on the console, releasing Kaworu. "The hour of your reckoning awaits."

"Of course." Kaworu replied. "When do I get to go to the shining beacon of Tokyo–3?"

"Ah… the plans we have laid out put you there by the beginning of December. I will explain those in time." Keel replied. "But once you are there, you may make your revenge and reclaim the body of Adam."

"Yes… it will be wonderful to shed this human form you are all so attached to." Kaworu said happily. "I wish to reclaim my true body."

"Good." Keel said.

"Where shall I be housed until I leave?" Kaworu asked.

"Here in this room." Keel said. "It should be sufficient until you are set to leave."

"Very well." Kaworu replied. "Are there clothes in the dresser?"

"Yes, I will leave you to it." Keel said as he put something on the desk. "Good day, Tabris. Look at those when you are ready."

"Good day, Chairman Keel." Kaworu replied.

As the door closed Kaworu made his way to the dresser and pulled out some simple undergarments and a white button up shirt, an orange t–shirt, and dark pants. He pulled them on silently and sat quietly at his desk. He looked at the pictures of the Evangelion pilots Keel left on his desk.

"Hmm…" Kaworu said. "Rei… the girl just like me, born of human and Angel… my sworn enemy… I know you fought and killed my sister Armisael… yet I still feel you're A.T. Field alive and well." Kaworu flipped to another picture. "And Asuka, such a rude beauty. You always get in my way… I can feel your strength… somehow you live and are not a useless wreck like you usually are by now… how interesting…" Kaworu looked at the third picture. "Ah… a new face that feels familiar. Sometimes you are there, most of the time you are not… how intriguing."

Kaworu looked at the final picture and closed his eyes and thought deeply on the one subject that had tormented him for countless lifetimes. "Shinji Ikari… for lifetime upon lifetime, our happiness together as one has been just out of reach. Even when we are together, you are haunted by the time you spent on the beach with Asuka all those lifetimes ago." Kaworu said. "Perhaps this time around, I can have you all to myself… remove Asuka from the picture. I am tired of waiting for you… I want you more than I want my revenge… this time, I will take you for myself."

* * *

October 2, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Shinji was awoken early in the morning by the stream of light coming through the windows. He had an uneasy sleep as he was worried about the two people he was watching over. When he awoke, Asuka and Mari were still unconscious, as they had been since they were recovered from their Evangelions. Shinji looked at each of them as he sat and waited for one or both of them to wake up from their comas, hoping and praying that they were alright. As he was looking at Asuka, he saw her face contort, as the light shone brightly over her face, she stirred.

"A… Asuka?" Shinji asked. "Asuka?!"

Asuka moved her arm. She shook her head and looked over tiredly s up and winced in pain as she rubbed her eyes. "Baka… where am I? Why is it… so bright?"

"Asuka… you're in the hospital at NERV." Shinji said. "You've been unconscious since the battle."

"It's been almost five days." Shinji said. "You were hurt pretty bad."

"Ok… so I'm in the hospital." Asuka said. "Why am I sharing a room with four eyes?"

"So that I could… watch both of you." Shinji said. "I was so… I was so worried about both of you…"

"You were worried about me?" Asuka asked. "Even though I haven't… haven't bothered to talk to you since the last Angel? Why do you even care that much?"

"Because… I love you." Shinji said. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course…" Asuka muttered. "I didn't forget again. How could I forget you? I… I love you Shinji."

"You mean it?" Shinji asked.

"I do." Asuka said. "Shinji… could you move closer… I need to tell you something."

"I need to tell you something too, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Well… it can wait, this is more important." Asuka insisted.

"No… Asuka…" Shinji started.

"Shinji… please… I need to say this…" Asuka begged.

Shinji sighed and moved his chair and sat right next to Asuka's bed. "What is it?"

"I… I had a lot of time to think the past few weeks." Asuka said. "I remember everything from back then… everything that is good and bad from when I was a kid. Every awful thing I saw… its balanced out by those wonderful memories of when we met, and all the times we talked on the phone."

"I remember…" Shinji said. "We talked all the time, my mother was so happy, she was so glad I had a friend my own age."

"My mother was happy too… I was just glad to have a friend." Asuka said. "I… I found something that convinced me it all wasn't a dream."

"What was it?" Shinji asked. "Why did you think it was all a dream?"

"Because… I thought the Angel was twisting my memories of you, of us." Asuka said. "But when I went to the basement and looked through all my other stuff, I… I found what we I promised to bring you the last time we talked on the phone."

"Pokémon?" Shinji asked. "You actually bought them?"

"My mother did, right after we got off the phone. One for you, and one for me." Asuka said. "She told me to not play them until we met again… she made me promise… and I told her I would only ever play those games with my best friend Shinji Ikari. And now they sit in the basement, still sealed in their packaging."

"Asuka… what are you trying to say?" Shinji asked.

"I'm trying to say I came to my decision, baka." Asuka said. "I… I want to be with you. I want to try and express my feelings with you. I saw your face that day when I came up from the basement. You were so worried, even though I avoided you, you still cared enough to be worried. And I realized that… and I wanted to make it right… I shouldn't have made you wait…"

"You weren't ready." Shinji said bluntly. "I… I hid the fact that I loved you for so long, and then I suddenly told you… it wasn't fair."

"Shinji… it doesn't matter." Asuka said. "You've made me feel something since we were training for the rematch with the Seventh Angel… I kept questioning my need to be alone, and then you told me you were my friend… and you… you put a Band–Aid on my knee like that day we were kids. You were there for me when I was truly afraid… you're always there for me… how could I not love you for that?"

Shinji blushed. "Really?"

"Really." Asuka said. "Shinji… I need to ask you something."

"Yeah?" Shinji asked.

"That night when I held you before we fought the Seventh again…" Asuka said. "Did you try to kiss me? I always had a feeling you did… but I was never sure."

"Well… yes." Shinji said.

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"You looked… so beautiful." Shinji said. "But then you muttered something about your mother, and you asked her why she had to die… I couldn't kiss you like that… and I knew it was wrong."

"So, you were honorable?" Asuka said. "That's sweet. I'll admit, even though I told you I didn't like holding you that night… I felt so safe and warm… I… think I started to fall in love with you then… it just took me so long to realize it. I was afraid of my feelings. After my mother died, I swore I would never need anyone again, and I swore I would never shed another tear… but I did both for you… I wanted you to be my friend because you were the best pilot… then I found out how kind you were, and it warmed my heart, and I cried over you… and cried because of m conflicted feelings for you."

"So… you've loved me for that long?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… that's why I was mad when the Twelfth Angel absorbed you… and when you disappeared after the Fourteenth… I realized I didn't want to lose you…" Asuka explained. "I cried and cried and cried… I thought you died… and then you came back… and then while I was out cold, all I could think about, and all I could focus on… was you…"

"For the past several months, I've been unable to dream about anyone else but you." Shinji said. "All I could think about was trying to ask you out… but something always happened that made me think it wasn't the best time."

"And then the Fifteenth Angel happened." Asuka said.

"Right." Shinji said. "I didn't want to live without you… and I told you how I felt…"

"And I was an ass." Asuka said. "But this Angel… this Angel made me realize that I… that I needed to do this."

"Do what?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji… I want you to be my boyfriend. I should have asked you months ago, Mari kept telling me that I should just take the initiative… she was right." Asuka said. "I don't care who knows that I love you, I just want to be able to hold you, and kiss you without wondering if you like me."

Shinji teared up. "Asuka… I'm so glad… I was so scared to ask you out…" Shinji chuckled. "I don't think I've ever been this happy."

"Well, baka…" Asuka said. "Are you just going to sit there crying at your good fortune, or are you going to kiss me?"

"I… what…?" Shinji asked.

"Kiss me, baka." Asuka said. "Mari showed me a few tricks…"

"Oh?" Shinji asked as he got up and leaned in close to Asuka. He could feel her breath on his face as he met Asuka's awaiting lips. When their lips met, both their hearts skipped a beat in tandem, they both felt their blood rush. They parted their lips and their tongues met, dancing like their Evangelions did against Israfel. They kissed for what felt like an eternity an when their lips parted, they both had wide, giddy grins on their faces.

"Shinji… that was…" Asuka said.

"Beyond wonderful…" Shinji replied. "I love you so much, Asuka…"

"I love you too, baka…" Asuka replied.

"Do you have to keep calling me that?" Shinji asked.

"Well… it's like a pet name…" Asuka said. "I kinda like it don't you?"

"You used to call me silly Shinji." Shinji said. "But I guess baka is ok…"

"I know… baka just sounds cuter." Asuka said. "What do you want to call me, baka?"

"Just Asuka…" Shinji said as he blushed. "I think your name is pretty…"

"Awww… it's about fucking time." Mari said angrily from across the room. "Congratulations you two… on getting your heads out of your asses."

"Mari!" Shinji said happily.

"I think you forgot about me, puppy…" Mari said.

"Way to ruin another moment four eyes!" Asuka shouted. "How long were you listening?"

"Long enough to hear you two finally profess your love in a constructive fashion with no yelling or anything." Mari joked. "So glad you two finally figured it out."

"Yeah… don't make me come over there, four eyes." Asuka said threateningly.

"Asuka… don't fight." Shinji said.

"Fine…" Asuka said. "Only because I love you."

"Awww…" Mari said. "So, puppy, did you forget I was here?"

"No… I was just…" Shinji stammered.

"He was busy, four eyes." Asuka said.

"Well, excuse me." Mari said. "I'm injured too… but I don't have anyone to kiss me."

Shinji's eyes widened in shock. "Oh… they don't… why does this always happen?" Shinji muttered. "Why…?"

"Shinji, what's wrong?" Asuka asked. "You're shaking."

"Yeah, puppy, where's the blueberry?" Mari asked. "I wanna see her… my girlfriend. Yeah… I wanna see my beautiful girlfriend."

Shinji stared at Mari in shock. "Your… girlfriend?"

"Yeah… happened right before the battle, our date was supposed to be… what day is it?" Mari asked.

"Second of October." Shinji replied.

"Yeah… we were supposed to have our first date two days ago." Mari said. "Why isn't she here? Is she hurt or something?"

"I…" Shinji stammered.

"Shinji, where is she?" Mari asked in a worried tone.

"Mari stop." Asuka said. "He's shaking."

"No… where is she?!" Mari asked. "Shinji, is she ok?"

"I… I don't know!" Shinji said as he started to cry. "I don't know if she's alive!"

"Shinji… what happened?" Asuka asked. "Why are you crying?"

"Shinji, if you care for me at, you have to tell me!" Mari shouted. "Please, what happened to my blueberry?!"

"She… to kill the Angel, she inverted her A.T. Field… she drew the Angel into Unit–00, and she… she activated the self–destruct sequence…"

"You're lying!" Mari screamed as she started to cry. "Rei's fine!"

"Shinji… you're joking right?" Asuka asked. "You killed the Angel like you always do…"

Shinji shook his head. "After we were all knocked down, Unit–01 shutdown to repair itself. Rei fought that thing all alone…" Shinji explained. "Then as I was getting up, the Angel attacked me, and Rei… she told me to tell you something… to look after you, and tell you she loved you… and then she said… goodbye… then… I watched as… As Unit–00 exploded… I saw it… its real, it happened." Shinji was choking back tears. "They found her Entry Plug… empty… she's presumed dead…"

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Mari screamed. "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! SHE CAN'T DIE!"

"She scarified herself… for us?" Asuka asked with tears in her eyes and Shinji nodded silently. "Shinji… it's ok to cry…" Asuka said as she started to cry herself. "Just cry… I'll hold you… you're safe…"

"WHAT ABOUT REI?" Mari screamed. "WHO WAS THERE FOR HER?!"

"Mari, shut up!" Asuka shouted. "Can't you see he feels guilty enough, even though it's not his fault! Let him cry!"

"Well, who's going to hold me?!" Mari shouted.

Asuka struggled to sit up. "I will… and Shinji will…" Asuka said with some difficulty. "We're always there for each other…"

"Asuka… don't move." Shinji said as he sobbed. "You'll just get hurt more…"

"I don't care…" Asuka said. "Mari's in pain… and we need to comfort each other, just we did when you were missing… she not dead… no body… no proof."

"Asuka… you're fucking kidding, she blew up!" Mari shouted.

"They didn't find her body… that means she could be alive!" Asuka said. "Now, help me over there Shinji!"

Shinji helped Asuka out of bed, he disconnected her from the machines monitoring her and helped her across to where Mari was. She settled into the bed, and Mari promptly held her close, nuzzling her back as she sobbed.

"Shinji, come here." Asuka said. "We'll be fine as long as we support each other."

Shinji climbed into the bed and face Asuka and buried his face in her chest and began to cry. "Mari… I'm sorry…" Shinji said. "I wish…"

"Don't talk like that." Asuka said as she fought to restrain her own tears. "She's alive until they produce a body that says otherwise, got it?"

"Got it…" Shinji said weakly.

"I understand…" Mari mumbled. "And Shinji… I'm sorry I yelled… I know you loved her too… you really cared for her…"

"I do…" Shinji said. "She's like my sister…"

"Hey…" Asuka said. "You should tell her that when they find her."

"Asuka, how can you believe that?" Mari asked.

"I found my mother's lifeless corpse on the ground after she shatter a lightbulb so she could slit her throat." Asuka said. "I won't believe Rei's dead until I see her body…"

"Right…" Mari said as she choked back her tears. "Sorry…"

"It's ok…" Asuka murmured. "I don't talk about it much."

"You shouldn't have to…" Mari said. "I remember seeing my parent die right in front of me… it's hard to imagine…"

"I saw my mom die too." Shinji said. "It was awful…"

The three of them lay huddled together on the bed, clutching each other tightly trying to make the pain go away, when they heard the door slam open with someone running inside.

"Shinji… don't tell them!" Kaji shouted. "She's alive!" Kaji noticed the three of them huddled together and realized they already knew. "It's ok, everything's ok, Rei's fine! They found her a mile from her Entry Plug…"

"Kaji?" Shinji asked.

"What?!" Mari shouted. "Rei's ok?!"

"I told you she was fine!" Asuka said.

"Where is she, I want to see her!" Mari shouted.

"Well… she's alive." Kaji explained. "Her injuries are… incredible… she's lucky to be alive. Most of her bones are broken, and she has some burns from the fires… she's barely there, they had to set the bones, but she got casts, and she's in some sort of LCL treatment… the doctors are saying she should be ok. It's just going to be awhile."

"So, can I see her?" Mari asked.

"Can _we_ see her?" Asuka corrected.

"No…" Kaji said. "She's isolated in case she's been contaminated by the Angel. They don't want to risk your health for you to get infected… or whatever."

"When can we see her?" Shinji asked.

"Probably in a few weeks." Kaji said. "But don't hold me to it."

"We won't." Shinji said as he started crying again.

"Why are you crying this time?" Asuka asked.

"I'm happy!" Shinji said. "Rei's alive! You're my girlfriend! What isn't there to be happy about?!"

"Well stop crying, baka!" Asuka said. "Normal people don't cry when they're happy!"

"Princess, we're far from normal…" Mari said.

"Speak for yourself." Asuka said. "I _am_ normal."

"Ah… you two finally got together…" Kaji said. "Nice going."

"You knew too?" Asuka asked.

"Of course." Kaji said. "It's hard to miss… same thing with Mari and Rei… I've seen that look before… once you know it, you can't forget it."

"You and Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Yep…" Kaji said. "And I've loved her ever since."

"You had a great way of showing too, Ryoji." Misato said as she walked into the room. "So, they're up to speed?"

"Yeah, they know Rei's alive." Kaji said.

"Good… cause I have more good news." Misato said. "The doctors say you two can go home tomorrow."

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"So soon?" Mari said. "Everything still kinda… hurts."

"Well, they said you're just bruised up, no internal injuries of any kind of severity." Misato said. "Your scans and bloodwork are clear."

"I'll be glad to be home." Asuka said. "These beds aren't comfortable."

"I agree." Mari said.

"Yeah, they're kinda lumpy…" Shinji added.

"Well, there is one problem." Misato said. "Shinji's being kicked out. Apparently, some prudish doctors think he's going to try and have his way with both of you while you sleep, so he has to come home."

"That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard!" Asuka shouted. "I joke that he's a pervert, but he's not!"

"Yeah, Shinji would never do that!" Mari protested. "I want him to stay!"

"So do I!" Asuka added empathetically.

"Sorry girls… doctor's orders." Misato said.

"Fine, but you bring him back here bright and fucking early." Asuka said. "And if he's not here, I'm blaming you, Misato."

"Why do you need him here?" Misato asked.

"We're dating." Asuka said.

"And if you tease them, I'll incinerate every last drop of alcohol n the apartment." Mari said. "And the stuff in your top dresser drawer too."

"Wha… how do you…" Misato stammered. "Never mind… I don't want to know. I won't tease them, unless they're kissing in front of me."

"Misato, don't be an ass." Kaji said. "Don't ruin their fun."

"Killjoy…" Misato muttered. "You're ruining my fun…"

"I'll make sure he's here before breakfast." Kaji said. "Then we'll get you two out of here as early as possible."

"You promise, Kaji?" Asuka asked.

"I promise." Kaji said.

"Fine, Shinji, help me back to my bed." Asuka said.

Shinji helped Asuka up and held her steady while he tucked Mari back into bed. "Bye, Mari." Shinji said.

"Later, puppy." Mari said. "See you in the morning."

Shinji then took Asuka and helped her limp back to her bed and tucked her back in. "Guess I'll see you in the morning, Asuka."

"Goodnight, baka." Asuka said as she leaned up and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Shinji replied.

"Awww… aren't they adorable…" Misato said in a baby voice.

"Shut up!" Asuka and Shinji shouted in unison.

"Yeah… they're perfect for each other…" Mari joked.

End Episode V

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A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
The All–American Rejects – _It Ends Tonight_ (2005)  
Green Day – _Wake Me Up When September Ends_ (2005)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 90.0% (No Change)  
Rei – 75.0% (No Change)  
Mari – 36.4% (No Change)  
Asuka – 18.1% (No Change)

This chapter picked up right where the last one left off, Shinji is enraged and in shock, hating himself for watching Rei die in front of him. So, moving forward, Rei is reborn, which gives me a chance to break her character out of the strict mold we're given for Rei II. It was the best way (and only) way to give Rei more independence away from Gendo, a further separation from Rei I and her happy childhood memories. Now, as for what Ritsuko did to her, it should be impossible to sell the fact Rei survived that blast without being injured. How she went about it is completely fucked up (breaking bones, inflicting burns and so on…), but it is the beginning of Ritsuko's descent into madness.

As for Shinji's entire guilt thing, this is what he does. He worries about anything where he thinks he could have done more. However, Armisael was the strongest of the Angels so far, being able to fight the way it did, it was nearly invincible, with really the only way to kill it is to give one's life… so Rei took the only course of action, and Shinji blames himself for not being able to fight properly. Sure, he went into an outrage that could have destroyed Tokyo–3 after the battle, but he has yet to gain any control over that as of yet.

But, Rei is alive so Shinji's guilt evaporates, and Shinji and Asuka are now a couple. Where Rei (III) and Mari stand will be seen in Episode Vi, but as of now, they are both still single until Rei is healed and they can once again speak to one another.

The reference to Keel being in Obersalzberg is a reference to the area's most infamous resident, Hitler, seeing as Keel wants to be a god amongst men and to kill those he views as unworthy seems to fit a Hitler archetype.

Next up! Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode VI: Return of Reality.

Please read and enjoy!

Well, technically yes, Episode VI is next, but first, it's time for a curveball, set in between Episode V and Episode VI, it is a Gundam Wing Crossover and it will be a part of the story line, not just a separate one shot or some such bullshit! Actually, its first chapter takes place the day after this one.

We now interrupt this story with: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Gundam Invasion!

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


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